First off, my title is a reference to The Office, hopefully anyone reading this got that.
Personally, I would never destroy my journals/diaries. We spend all this time sitting down and writing about our feelings and about the events and situations we have lived through. What would be the point in destroying all that? I will definitely go back and read all my diaries one day when I am living in my own house and have my own family. I'm sure some of it will make me laugh, some of it will depress me, and some of it will just be a huge "oh my gosh, I totally forgot about that" moment. For the most part, I wouldn't want my family or friends to read my private thoughts, although I'm sure there will be some things I'll want to share with them in the future- especially funny stories. Instead of destroying them, I would just be keeping them in a box or something somewhere safe in my house. As far as what happens to your journals when you pass away one day, if you are paranoid and don't want anybody to ever read them, then yes, I think burning them could be a good option for you. However, maybe you want to leave them for your grandchildren, for example. It could be something fun for them to read while still connecting them to you even after your passing.
I strongly believe that anybody who has a diary should be given the automatic right to privacy. If someone wants a safe space to vent on paper, then they are absolutely allowed to do that. That right of privacy should be respected. There can be so many different purposes for writing in a journal. It can be something to vent to, giving you peace of mind. It can help you really assess a situation and realize something you didn't before. It can help you notice things within yourself that you'd like to work on. The motivations are endless.
I agree with your reason for keeping your journals. I guess I care too much about my past experiences, but I'd never burn mine either. I love rereading what I have written. I wish I had all of my journals from when I was a kid, but my dad does and has probably read them all by now. That doesn't bother me in the slightest. I like the idea one of the writers from this week presented, our journals are not always a direct representation of who we are, sometimes they show the experimental path we are taking in discovering and defining ourselves. I think your post uncovers that same idea. And I would love to have my grand kids read my journals one day. Hopefully they'd learn what not to do.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated the perspective you brought to your writing. Thanks for sharing!