On line journaling is a new thing for me, so please forgive me if this question seems obvious. What constitutes a train-wreck journal? I read a couple of journals that I feel fall into this catagory. The journalers in question don't seem to realize how horrifying their "situations" are to others. Is denial one of the features of a train wreck journal?

-- Anonymous, June 08, 2001

Answers

Being in denial is a frequent component of train-wreck journals, but it's not a requirement, only a bonus. For some reason, there are actually some folks out there who proudly describe their own journals as "train wrecks."

Basically a train wreck is any journal you read because you can't believe how fucked-up that person's life is. I think people read them for the same reason they watch "Jerry Springer"--both make you feel superior, because while you may have problems, at least you're not a complete mess like those people.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2001

I agree with Jen, and I would add that it isn't just that a person's life is fucked up, because anyone can have a bad streak of luck, but that the person writing the journal makes such excruciatingly bad choices, time and time again, to the point where every time you click a link to their latest entry, you cringe a bit, knowing that what you will read will be a dissertation's worth of bad judgement, inflated self-worth, and random acts of alcohol fueled violence.

My favourite train wreck, ever, has been offline for more than 3 years, but I made desktop wallpaper out of a line from her journal, because I just loved it so much: "My mother's superior attitude just pisses the hell out of me. Wait until she figures out that I fucked her new husband AND her stepson."

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2001

*snort*

Who the heck was that Kristin?

I guess it would be in bad taste to ask people who their favorite train wrecks are right?

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001

Sherry... bad taste here I come...

My favorite train wreck is about this Ph.D. candidate here in the Bay Area... I mean, c'mon, who -really- goes running all that time when they -clearly- need to find people to chair their defense!?

I mean.... GEEZ.... some people! =P

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001

Wow, Morpheus, don't dangle such a juicy carrot like that just out of reach! Now, I'll be plowing through innumerable journal links, trying to find that one.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001

Spill it, Kristin. I wanna know!

Hint: typing out URLs makes it so that people don't get the referrals in their logs. Just, y'know, in case anyone wants to post some URLs for the rubberneckers among us.

-- Anonymous, June 28, 2001