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Sep. 5th, 2002 11:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
purplerabbitI have always been somewhat sporadic in keeping journals. I never felt comfortable putting lots of energy into writing something that wasn't meant to be read by others. It seem like such a waste of effort. I always felt that way about papers for school too. I like writing things for publication, it feels more real.
When I was eleven or twelve, I wrote a nasty letter to a boy who had hurt my feelings. My mother warned me to be careful. She said that once written the words have their own life. Never put in writing anything that you don't want to be read by others. In fact, it is best to assume that anything you write may be read or even published.
I remember reading the Diary of Anne Frank and realizing how mortified she would have been to know that so many people would be reading her journal.
When I was thirteen, my dad died. My mother wanted to throw everything away. I was the one who carefully went through everything he owned to decide what to save and what to throw away. I know there were things in there he would have been upset to know his child read or saw. (Like the nude photos of an old girlfriend.)
Recently I spent four months taking care of my mother in the hospital. At one point the doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong and mom was definitely dying. My sisters and I wanted to have as much information as possible about what led to the illness. So I read the previous six months of my mom's journal. Her keeping a journal helped us figure out some of what had happened. It also embarrassed her when she was awake again.
So a journal that is open to others to read makes a lot more sense to me. I am looking forward to sharing with my friends and family.
Dawn
When I was eleven or twelve, I wrote a nasty letter to a boy who had hurt my feelings. My mother warned me to be careful. She said that once written the words have their own life. Never put in writing anything that you don't want to be read by others. In fact, it is best to assume that anything you write may be read or even published.
I remember reading the Diary of Anne Frank and realizing how mortified she would have been to know that so many people would be reading her journal.
When I was thirteen, my dad died. My mother wanted to throw everything away. I was the one who carefully went through everything he owned to decide what to save and what to throw away. I know there were things in there he would have been upset to know his child read or saw. (Like the nude photos of an old girlfriend.)
Recently I spent four months taking care of my mother in the hospital. At one point the doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong and mom was definitely dying. My sisters and I wanted to have as much information as possible about what led to the illness. So I read the previous six months of my mom's journal. Her keeping a journal helped us figure out some of what had happened. It also embarrassed her when she was awake again.
So a journal that is open to others to read makes a lot more sense to me. I am looking forward to sharing with my friends and family.
Dawn
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no subject
Date: 2002-09-06 02:25 pm (UTC)I look forward to reading your posts and thus keep in touch with you and your life. I've missed you guys!
I am also one of those who doesn't really see the point to a private journal. At least, not online. I post rather deep things that I am working through. But I also keep some level of vaguery in place since I'd rather that folks didn't *quite* know if I am talking about a who or a what. Within that level of obfuscation though I am still given a *lot* of latitude to say almost anything I need to while I work things out in my head. I like to get the input of others. I may not take all the advice I receive, but I want old and new friends to have the opportunity to stumble onto my journal and contribute. I don't allow anonymous comments, though, since I don't really see the point (it isn't like it is hard to get an LJ account after all).
Looking forward to conversing more in the future.