do you keep a diary?

Philippines
February 17, 2010 6:02am CST
Hello Mylotters! I have been keeping a diary since I was 13. And I still do. I know there's a trend such as online blogging, but I prefer the traditional way of sharing my thoughts on ink and paper. I could easily express myself, and I like keeping my innermost thoughts private. I've recorded some of the most unforgettable events of my life. it's best to write when the memory is still fresh. When I want to reminisce, I just bring out my diaries and spend time looking through it. I marveled how much I've changed and matured through my thinking. These are my prized possessions I would keep for the rest of my life. How about you? do you keep a diary?
6 people like this
36 responses
@bystander (2292)
• Philippines
17 Feb 10
are you talking about the personal kind, onlyprincess? you know, i have an executive diary where i write my appointments and the things i do and places i go to related to my work. also, i keep an online diary about things i do on the internet. but a personal diary, about the private and personal things i do, nada. i used to, but that was during my younger days. now, there's no more need for that. the one closest to that is my medical diary, where i record things about my health, medicines and checkup schedules...
@bystander (2292)
• Philippines
18 Feb 10
we should, you know. if we want to live a long and happy life, we have to personally take care of our body. there's no one else who can do that as well as we do than us... well, it seems you're a well-organized person too, onlyprincess. because a diary, even if personal, reflects on the owner -- it means you are organizing and recording your thoughts, even your daily or periodic activities... in a diary...
• Philippines
18 Feb 10
yup, I'm talking about personal diaries. It seems to me you're a busy person, and the one you've mentioned, is it an organizer? well, it's also a good way to remember things and important dates. and I salute you for having a medical diary! I would definitely recommend everyone to have one, to keep a record of their health and medicines. It is very important. It's nice to know you take care of yourself bystander ;)
@niravt4 (19)
• India
17 Feb 10
ya! i do keep a diary but i dont write in it everyday and everything! and the other more important thing is that i dont use ink and paper for it! i use a software that i have downloaded from nontube.com!!!! it is better then ink and pen because it helps us protecting our writings by allowing facility of password and it saves trees as well! and we should use it because all the economies in the world are focusing on green environment and saving trees and all!!! so we can help them by using it!!!!
1 person likes this
• Philippines
18 Feb 10
hi niravt4 and welcome to mylot! well, I respect your advocacy of becoming green and saving the environment and all, but I would appreciate it if you lessen the exclamation points ;) no need to shout my dear, I get your point and it's actually a good one. but not everyone has laptops or computers at home, and some would appreciate the traditional way of writing. I'm one of them, though I find online blogging interesting. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
@johndur (3052)
• Pasig, Philippines
17 Feb 10
i also have a diary where i keep track on everything im doing on a daily basis and im saving it on my email.but sometimes when im really busy i forget to update it and until i lost track of recording.now i have deleted it because i believe the ost secure to save you memories is in your mind and you can get it anytime you want.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
18 Feb 10
hi johndur! well it seems to me you have a strong memory! Good for you ;) Most people forget things and events easily, and a diary is a nice way to keep track ;) Thanks for sharing!
@scaflone8 (190)
• Philippines
17 Feb 10
I use to have a diary until My sister read it. It was such an invasion of my family but my family doesn't really care about privacy. So, I made a diary but now I made my experiences into poems and it became my book of poems. By making it into poems even if my sister reads it she won't really understand it he he. but it feels really cheesy reading my poems he he.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
18 Feb 10
hi scaflone! it's too bad your sister read your diary. it's an invasion of privacy. but nonetheless, I'm happy to hear you found a great solution for still continuing to write but expressing yourself in a new way. that's brilliant and sneaky, LOL. It sounds like your writing in a code that no one understands but you. cool idea ;) thanks for sharing!
@pengbubu (1011)
• China
17 Feb 10
I start keeping a diary years ago. I wrote on the blog, but only myself can read. I just want to write my mental journey down. It's just for myself. I don't want anyone else see and comment. Have a great day!
1 person likes this
• Philippines
18 Feb 10
hi pengbubu! I also created an online blog for my private use only. but after a few entries, I forgot to log-in daily and got tired of writing online. I still preferred the traditional diary keeping :)
@vingoze (50)
• Nigeria
17 Feb 10
I really dont keep diaries, I but my mum and sister do keep diaries so I kind of figured its most ladies who keep diaries because I think they have to keep in mind a lot of dates and events and I guess its right for them, none of my male friends keep diaries, we just go with the flow and let things be, I might be wrong, but from where I come from ( africa ) not many men keep diaries, just women.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
18 Feb 10
hi vingoze! It's true what you said about us ladies who writes in diaries because we have a lot in mind. you got it right ;) and I agree that most guys won't keep diaries because you just go with the flow and let things be. I don't have guy friends that keeps diaries and only a few of them would admit they have one. Must be the testosterones, LOL ;) thanks for sharing!
• Philippines
8 Mar 10
Yes I do, but some of my diary were wasted because of Typhoon Ondoy, the only one left are those from my college years. My diary brings me back to past. Like when I am reading it, I will reminisce. I will remember that I got a crush on a celebrity that I never wonder that I had. And also what I want to remember why I am reading it are my crushes, not celebrity crushes but those normal guys I met in my life. The way I follow him everyday, the way I observed them at school. The moments we have when he got to noticed me. I have different crushes on my degree at school. The most unforgettable was when it was near college graduation. I met a nice guy and for the first time I saw him I knew I love him. The feelings last for long but we did not end up to be together. I know he doesn’t like me but he is friendly. I love keeping a diary, it brings me back to past. I learned a lot by only reading it because there are problems before that were easy as I am reading but I am having trouble solving it before. And it also helps us to appreciate our life, it makes our life more colorful. Unfortunately, due to busy schedule now I did not have the time to write on my journal now.
1 person likes this
@clocks123 (1225)
• United States
17 Feb 10
i too started a small diary at age 12. as i aged, i kept notes on a calendar, notebook, and today a journal with a calender and notes. i keep dr visits, test results here, when i paid a bill, how much i gave someone in gift giving,etc. i also write a summary of my day in the calender slots.
1 person likes this
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
17 Feb 10
Hi, onlyprincess. When I was a teenager, I used to keep one all of the time. Until my aunt decided to be sneaky and read it. I was upset then. So, I stopped keeping one. I used to refer back to it just like you would do too. I would have had it now, but I don't. I guess I also don't enjoy writing down my thoughts like I used to do. Keeping a diary is fun and exciting.
1 person likes this
@diamania (7011)
• Netherlands
17 Feb 10
I am an 18 year old man (lol its weird to say 'man') and I still keep a diary. I have the tendency to relive days a few times in the evening looking for things I could have done better. However if I write things down it either doesn't occur or less biting. It has to do with my anxiety disorder as well as the traumas I endured during my treatment.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
17 Feb 10
Hi diamania! A lot of guys won't admit they own a diary, and I congratulate you for being honest about it! :) yes, writing in a diary is a good way to relieve a day and look for things you could have done. But don't stress yourself too much, there's always another day to look forward to ;)
1 person likes this
@anamarp (93)
• Philippines
18 Feb 10
I call it personal journal its like a diary, I wrote everyday. It is important and helpful to me. And for my future family where they can know what happen to me and my experiences.
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (69661)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
18 Feb 10
I used to have one, but when typing became my main way to write, I went to online blogging. Live Journal was my first blog I think.... no... actually blogger .com back in high school. I haven't updated eaither in quite some time. I am sure there are pleanty things I could write, in fact I know this to be true, but meh... I haven't felt like writing right now. Needing to make payout is motivitating me to post today even though my brain's screaming sleep.
1 person likes this
@vinabee (85)
• China
18 Feb 10
when i was young, i kept my diary each week, of course, i had plan to keep it every day, but actually i always forget. i like to write something when i felt happy,sad falling in love with a little boy, and so on. i think, the diary is my friend which will never scold me and tease me.
@Hujing (47)
• China
17 Feb 10
Oh,yeah,onlyprincess,I like keeping a diary, because I think it will be my best treasure when I am old. I don't like writing blogs on the net to express my ideas, what's more, i don't want my thoughts to be commented.haa.I just want to keep my feeling and thought.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
17 Feb 10
Hi hujing! Yes, I do agree that diaries are the best treasures when we get older ;) And I also like keeping my innermost thoughts to myself and not for the whole world to see, that's why I like writing in my diary. I love my own space ;)
1 person likes this
@idowrite72 (2213)
• United States
13 Mar 10
I've had diaries/journals that I've kept over the course of my life, only to destroy them at times. One time I had some things I had written, and had a live-in who read them and used what I had written to say ugly things to me about it. I shredded them and threw them away. It was a way for me to clear my thoughts and my head so I could get over some things going on in my life, and he made it ugly. I do have a written journal going again, but only occasionally write in it. I also have an online journal, that isn't quite as personal or in depth. I also like to write about what is going on with myself, and like to go back and read what I have written later, but I have lost that in the ones which I found I needed to destroy.
• Philippines
17 Apr 10
I have been keeping a diary since I was like 6 or 7. And like you, I still keep it until now. I prefer the traditional way too more than online blogging. It's like the best way to release our emotions, and it need not be daily but whenever we just feel like writing to it.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
3 May 10
When I was younger I was avid about keeping a diary. However, I don't any more because I am a mother and my children consume almost all the time in my life. However, I do like to keep notes of the things that we do and I will incorporate that into my scrapbooks so that I will be able to leave behind a legacy of my children's lives when they are grown. They will be able to share their childhood with their own children in a way that I was never able to do.
@sithy87 (89)
17 Feb 10
i used to keep to diary upto my age of 20 but after that i did not.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
14 Mar 10
Hi..I have lots of diaries before but I haven't kept any one of them because they are all gone when I returned after few years of staying in distant places. I left all my diaries at our old house, most of my unforgettable experiences were written in those pages. I could not find even one crumpled sheet, it's so regretful not being able to take my precious notes with me.
• Philippines
18 Apr 10
i have my diaries back in my elementary years but i never kept them...but nobody had read any of them...