this little prototype shows a random ping [i] from my drop journal --- i. “ping” = shorthand for a breadcrumb or portal back to a feeling, resonant idea, etc.

I love this! I've used Day One in a similar fashion because they have the "this day x years ago" feature but often wish for a more randomized way to surface stuff I might not find again

Yes! That’s very much what was on my mind

gotcha gotcha, ok! ...this aligns with my experience too. are there particular "filters" [i] you can see potentially being interesting to you? E.g. "around this time?", "this day of the week", "never revisited", etc. - - - i. im not sure "filters" is the word...