Do you keep a diary ?

Question

If so, do you write in it each night or just once a week or only occaisionally. ?
I find I tend to write in mine only when I am depressed or had a bad day. It gets it out of my system. I would like to write in it all the time but I often find that when Im happy I cant think of what to write or I just dont have the time as I am busy enjoying myself.
Is diary writing just a therapuetic exercise ?
Or is it a historical document for future generations like Anne Franks diary ?

Answer 1

I want to live until I'm 115 (2081) because I want to go down in history as the only person to have kept a daily diary for 100 years - although I have no idea what's happened to 1987, it'll turn up one day, I hope so, I turned 21 and my sister's youngest was born). It might be a two page rant or three words - work ... home ... sleep - but it gets written every day. I have typed it for years now, you can get more in and the current diary (Celia) (yes, I do name them, the previous one was Bolna and I've had a Sandra and an Ahmed), is getting very overloaded (I print out onto pallet labels and stick 'em in) but holds the last two and a half years of my life. No-one but no-one sees them (not until I'm dead and gone and can't be punched) and I'm just longing for the day when I'm asked ... Can you remember what you were doing on the 5th June 1998?

Actually, give me a few minutes to find it and I'll tell you .... I bought something from QVC for the first time, it was a tile cleaner called Zap (and wow, I loved that stuff) for ten pounds thirty three. My then sister in law and her daughter came round at 10 am, we got the Monopoly out and played it all day; I lost - I always lose, I do daft deals (Oh, you've landed on Mayfair with a hotel, it's mine, you've got no money. Let me sell you Trafalgar Square for a quid and we'll call it even ... no, really, I've used that one). I also managed to care for my Dad who had Parkinson's Disease and do 12km on the exercise bike......... Sorry, I got carried away and have just been reading a very humorous entry where my other two names get a chance to be heard. It ended with Elizabeth emigrating to a nerve cell in my left upper arm to get away from Mags (Margaret) who loves to bully her.

Now there's an idea, they haven't been out for years. I'll have to give them some air before they kill each other.

Answer 2

My grandmother has kept a diary every day of her life since she was a girl (not sure how old). She's now about 87. Even though she may not have had the world's most interesting life, it will be fascinating to read it one day when she's gone just to see how things were in the "old days" and what it was like to live through all the changes.

Also, she lived in London during the War, married during the War, and lost both parents in the Blitz. As far as historical interest goes, it's worth keeping a diary just in case anything like that does happen - the boring years beforehand will serve to put it all in context, similar to the start of Lord of the Rings.

I used to keep one for therapeutic purposes but now I find a much better way to get it all out of my system is to write long, rambling answers to forum posts on the internet. Nine times out of ten I don't hit "submit" at the end, but just close the page. It works just as well for me.

Following on from that point, I don't think it's the case that nobody will be interested in your diary because everyone's got one. While it's true that there are far more people keeping diaries now than there were 400 years ago, or even 100 - if only because we have more free time, stationery is cheaper, and we're better educated therefore literate in the first place - think how much of it is on disposable format. My diary from 1998 to 2003 was on computer, and I lost it in a hard disk failure, whereas my diary from 1983 (my last year at primary school) is doubtless still at my Mum's house somewhere, including the ribbon I won for the three-legged race in the Sports Day! Proper diaries written on paper are pretty rare nowadays, I reckon. Worth keeping, and worth looking after.

Answer 3

there are people who say that writing what you feel is a good thing. I doubt how much of a historical document it can be, Anne Frank's being an exception (cos she used to write in it every day, and gave a close account of her life).

When i was fourteen, i used to write pretty much everything in a diary, then be very scared someone would find it and read out everything. In the beginning, i used to write in it every day...then writing became sparser and by time i stopped. Occasionally I wrote again when i was sad and depressed, then as i grew older i stopped altogether....

Four years later, i still have these diaries and I am still scared someone reads them. I do my best to hide them as well as possible! And guess what - I do not have the guts to read them myself!! (isn't this weird?!).

Nowadays, when I am very depressed and sad, I write poems. I guess they're better than in a diary, because if you want to cover up everything you said by using a metaphor, you're kind of excused (cos its a poem you're writing). And its more creative and presents a challenge.

Everyone has their own way of expressing themselves, and don't feel pressured into writing in a diary.

Answer 4

No. Wouldn't want anyone reading it if I was gone. I am not a person that anyone would find any historical value in reading my thoughts.

I do write in a blog once in a while, but am careful of what I say because I know this one girl always reads it. She leaves comments for me, so I know she does.


If I am really, really angry at someone, feeling that someone has done something that really hurts me, I do write that down. I write and write and write until I feel better. Then, I throw all the paper I wrote on into my burnables trash bag, pick up the bag, and take it out to our burning barrel, and make sure it's all gone. Great therapy! Cheers me up every time.

Answer 5

As a general rule I don't keep a diary, wish I did sometimes but life can often be a bit mundane and such writings would be boring. I can see the point if you are leading a successful and busy life but otherwise they can be very dull.

The next time that I fall in Love I will definately keep a RELATIONSHIP DIARY, so that I can explore my feelings better and hopefully prevent things from going wrong.

Answer 6

I write when I'm really depressed too, or something really really bad happens. I like the idea of it being a historical document and maybe mine will be someday. When I am happy I don't care about it, but sometimes I'll look back and its amazing what I've been through (to me) Its also amazing how time has flown by.

Answer 7

Unfortuinitally I use a diary for work, and not just day to day appointments but as a reflective tool in aiding where I could improve my own practice and highlighting where I do good and also bad. I should point out that I'm a nurse and can use my diary's for proving that I still keep upto date with current nursing trends!!! Sad but true.

Answer 8

yes i keep diay and try to write regularly, i have written in it since i was 9, i am now 14 (gone through 3 books) i tend to write more when i am depressed/had a bad day too. sometimes i fill in the dates on the next few sheets so i have to write them on those dates. i always write dates in the back of my diary, things like my wish-list and my "first times" hope i heped..x

Answer 9

Yes, most of the times when I am depressed or feeling myself emotional. I try to explain through writing. I do write sometimes to express my love for my dearest people. I don't know how to write bad about people you don't like. I try to express those through sketching.

Answer 10

we used to say only good girls kept diarys thats why i never kept one ! i think its a good idea to keep one if ive had an argument with someone i write down everything i feel at the time and i feel much better !xx