Writing is an incredible form of communication. It leaves a mark on civilization, illustrating the knowledge and the experiences so that the future generations could learn from mistakes and improve society. Written traditions provide a consistent, subjective outlook on the culture of the time through the eyes of the writer, differing from varying oral traditions and accounts. Writing has yet another extraordinary power: therapeutics. Diaries are a form of writing for personal and therapeutic use. Most people associate diaries with kids, thanks to the popular “Diary of the Wimpy Kid” series and subsequent deviations. However, diaries are not just for emotion-stricken kids. They are useful for all age groups.
I officially started a diary in my junior year of high school. One of my best friends and I had almost every single class together so we hung out together frequently in school. One day, she told me that she has diaries dating back to first grade. I envisioned myself at 80 years of age, sitting in a rocking chair with spectacles on my face, reading my diaries and getting a kick out of what happened in my youth.
I grabbed a red, wide-ruled composition notebook. When I first started writing in my diary, I started with the words “Dear Diary.” I couldn’t help it. I really wanted to try the “Diary of the Wimpy Kid” model. I wrote about how long I haven’t written in a diary and I spoke to the diary too. Thinking back, writing to a diary is a great way to start writing because the diary represents an unknown, supportive audience. I slowly grew more comfortable with putting words from my head onto paper. Writing slowly became part of my life. My purpose to write was always driven by a want to keep a record, but also by my friend’s dedication to writing.
I got pretty mad at my parents during junior years, mostly about standardized testing, about what I should and shouldn’t be doing, about how to live my life so that colleges would want me. Whenever I would fight with my parents, I would cry; crying is my natural instinct when I’m angry and frustrated. The first time I got mad after starting a diary, I wrote a couple of pages illustrating how much I disliked my parents. Considering that for me, a composition notebook page takes about 10-15 minutes to write, I spent quite a while writing. As I was writing, I felt an emotional release, as if screaming on paper was a substitute for scream aloud. I wrote until I couldn’t exhaust the subject further and my anger at my parents had dissipated. I had written my anger onto tangible paper. Coming out of my room after an hour, I shouted, “Dad, I want noodles!” Being a person who holds one-day grudges, I realized how quickly my anger at my parents left.
One of my good friends once told me that he used music as an outlet rather than writing because writing made everything real. Realness is the absolute beauty of writing. Writing forces people to think about the reasons behind every emotion. By bringing to light the ocean-deep thoughts and feelings, I could finally feel a sense of relief and realization. It is only when one can articulate the issues that one can set a plan to resolve the problem.
The diary for me is a place for my actual feelings that I don’t tell other people, a place where I don’t need to hide behind any veils.
Therefore, I challenge you, my readers, to write down what happened to you today. What were your emotions? What made you uncomfortable during the day? Who brought you the greatest happiness? Dig a little deeper, my friends!