Dear Diary,
“I hate my brother. Why won’t he leave me alone?” – July 15, 1983
Dear Diary,
“I looked in the mirror today and I was horrified. When did I get so old?” – August 21, 2009
Ok, so over the past, gulp, twenty-six years, maybe my words have changed—drastically—but my sentiment (for journal writing, not hating my brother) is still the same. I’ve been journaling since I was old enough to write my feelings down (I had my first key lock diary at age 7—you can never be too careful!). And even though my problems are now a lot more complex and sometimes painful to share even with my leather-bound diary (For the record, I now hate my dark circles, not my brother), I still find peace in being able to write my innermost thoughts in a place where I know I won’t be judged for them.
Believe me, it’s sometimes more than stressful and requires a bottle of wine to go back through some of my more depressing journals. Take for example my break up with my college boyfriend. That saga filled FOUR, count ‘em, FOUR floral-covered diaries! (Let’s just say I found every way to say, “I want him back!”) And there was the break up with my post-college beau. (THREE paisley-covered journals.) And how can I forget the break up with my post-post college boyfriend? (TWO brown leather journals—at least I became more concise and improved my taste in diaries along the way!) Anyway, you get the idea. Keeping a journal can be incredibly heartbreaking (did that many guys really dump me?) but also very empowering (I finally found Mr. Right!).
But, let’s face it. We all know keeping a diary is hard. When Oprah suggests we start a gratitude journal, we want to jump on board. Day #1: I’m so thankful for my family! DAY #2: I’m grateful the scale is broken! Day #3: A blank page, as the gratefulness goes unrecorded. Not that we’re not thankful for that guy who held the door open for us at Barnes & Noble or the lady who let us cut in line at Target, we’re just BUSY! So when I read that Drew Barrymore had a Keel’s Simple Diary, I was intrigued (love my celebrity gossip). Turns out, this journal is multiple choice and fill in the blank!
Example: Your day was: a) Uphill b) Down the drain C) Straightforward
The simple diary is just that: simple. And if you’re even half as ADD as I am, you’ll love the easiness of picking a, b, or c. I bought one for myself (of course!) and several people in my wedding party (Shhh! Don’t tell).
On that note, I’m also a big fan of the Listography journals. I was given Love Listography as a gift. I like being prompted to fill in a certain list. Like, List the people you’ve broken up with (okay so maybe that list only has one name and he was my fourth-grade boyfriend), or List your biggest break-up remedies (Much more up my alley. I suggest wine, vino, or vin!), or List your top sexiest celebrities (One word: Clooney.)
I think for me, journaling is not just about keeping a record of your life, but it’s also about writing. It’s being creative. It’s thinking outside the box. So that’s why I love all types of journals, from the traditional to the fill-in-the-blank.
And for the record, I’d say my day today is a) uphill.
Do you keep a journal? Why or why not?
Lisa Steinke, along with her best friend Liz Fenton, co-authored the chick lit novel I’ll Have Who She’s Having and co-created the popular Chick Lit blog, Chick Lit is Not Dead.
