Tag: writing

inspiration

Whatever Became of “Dear Diary”

JoanneLeave a comment

“Journaling helps you grow and flow. It helps you get in touch with who you really are…your essence. It helps put you in touch with the Dreamer in you. It nourishes your Dreamer. Journaling provides clarity, discovery, and authentic expression”. ~ Susan Castle

Did you ever own a diary at any stage during your life?

You know what I mean, the type of diary in the form of a book, with blank pages. You needed a pen to write in it. Some even came complete with their own little padlock and key, enabling the owner of such a diary to record their deepest, most private thoughts and feelings, without fearing that their inner-self may be intruded upon.

Young girls, in particular, found great delight in beginning each new entry into their diaries with the words “Dear Diary”, just as one would begin a letter to a dear and close friend.

But that is exactly what a personal diary became to those who owned one; a confidant, in whom they could trust their inner most secrets to.

Where is Dear Diary Today?….

You may well ask!

I have a sneaking suspicion that “Dear Diary” is alive and well, after undergoing a gradual “facelift” during the last ten to fifteen years.

As the years have progressed, the times have changed to such an extent that Generation X and even more so Generation Y no longer feel the immense need to keep their inner-most thoughts private.

Modern technology has given them “Facebook”, the perfect medium in which to  record their deepest secrets if they so wish. Photos and music can also be contained within these pages, to be treasured for posterity.

A padlock and key seems unnecessary as you can easily monitor the friends you wish to have read your private thoughts.

Yes, times have certainly changed. Gone are the days when we all wished to keep our privacy. Our diaries may now be publicly viewed within the pages of Facebook.

Is There an Alternative to Facebook?

Yes, I believe there is!

And, you are reading my very own alternative to Dear Diary and Facebook, right here and now!

You see, I love to write and my words are from the heart. I’m past the age of wishing to record any risqué thoughts, preferring uplifting messages of inspiration, encouragement and advancement of thought.

So, I blog! 🙂

“The diary is the only form of writing that encourages total freedom of expression. Because of its very private nature, it has remained immune to any formal rules of content, structure, or style. As a result, the diary can come closest to reproducing how consciousness evolves”. ~ Tristine Rainer

There are many occasions when writing helps to put my thoughts into perspective. My mind may be going through a state of muddlement on a particular subject, so I begin to write.

As the words take form, my thoughts clear, the answers to my questions take form in my mind, I record the answers and voila! My mind is all sorted!

There once was a day, way back when…

…I owned my very own diary, as previously described, complete with cute little padlock and key. Dear Diary had become my confidant during the years I was aged thirteen and fourteen.

During a very boring lesson of Asian Social Studies at school one day, as I struggled to stay awake and pay attention to the teacher, (trying to improve my grades in this subject as they were not good, due no doubt to the afore mentioned boredom), I was distracted by a mini commotion in the seats behind me.

Two of my friends had discovered an amusing distraction from the drone of the teacher’s voice, there was no doubt about that! What was that little blue “thing” they both poked and giggled at, hidden mostly behind the desk, within the security of their laps?

I’d recognise that shade of blue anywhere….My Diary!

In a fit of rage, I snatched my valued possession from their hands, whilst the teacher, who was obviously sleep-talking, as he hadn’t noticed the commotion taking place right under his nose, continued to drone on.

The minutes that remained in that lesson of Asian Social Studies were the longest minutes of my fourteen year old life. As the bell rang, sounding the end of the lesson, my diary and I made a very speedy exit from the classroom.

I was mortified!

Needless to say, the two offenders, known formally as my “friends”, had taught me a very valuable lesson ~ that to some people nothing is sacred, therefore, tear up my diary and keep those overly private thoughts to myself!

“Writing is the most powerful way I know of to sort through all the inner voices”. ~ Rebecca Maddox

As quaint and lovely the idea of hand writing in diaries is, I am content today, as the much older and wiser soul I now am, to sort systematically through those “inner voices”, recording my thoughts in my blog and hoping someone out there may benefit from my words, not to mention my bad experience! 😉

advice · Changes

Writing With Reason

Joanne2 Comments

There has never been a time in my life when I haven’t wanted to write.

When my memories are panned back as far as they can possibly stretch without breaking, to before I even started my school days, I can recall trying to write by copying words I found, written on pieces of paper, and not having any inkling what all of the scrawl meant! All I knew was, it was writing. And I wanted to know how to write.

For many years thereafter, I did write, until I grew up and somehow lost myself in the real world. Not that I was happy about the real world eating me up.  I would have been quite content to permanently share my book-world with my children.

And share books with them I did, every day. Dratted school interfered. Work interfered. The realities of life flew thick and fast, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t dodge the hits. I’d loved riding on the merry-go-round as a child, but the one I had become caught up on now wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t get off.

Reeling from the shock of “this is life, you can like it or lump it”, I closed my eyes, held my breath and took a massive leap into the nothingness, not knowing how or where I would land.

I’m happy to report that I did in fact survive the jump, and retreated to my safe place, a place so close to my heart it is a part of me. I went home.

The little voices inside of my head kept on urging me on; you know what you want to do, don’t just think about it, do it! My neglected garden needed urgent attention. My kitchen appeared to belong to someone else; it needed a huge dose of “Joanne-ification”.

Somewhere in the midst of becoming reacquainted with the real me, Home Life Online was born. Just one problem; I lacked the confidence to write anything. So many years had passed. What would I say?

Inspired by the need to write, although lacking confidence, I created another blog, “Memoirs of My Life”. I needed somewhere to write anonymously, with the use of a pseudonym. That could work.

And it did; it worked a treat. “Memoirs” filled me with the confidence boost I needed, enough to slowly venture out, one tiny step at a time, into a world where I now feel no fear when saying “this is me and this is what I have to say”.

I have not felt inclined to publicise “Memoirs”. After writing one particular post, however, I meekly mentioned to a new-found online friend of its existence. One beautifully worded comment left by my friend was all it took. From that day on, my confidence has soared, compared to what it used to be!

Sometimes, that is all it takes; a few encouraging words…they can mean the world to someone. Or perhaps an article, written from your own personal life’s experience, however simple, which strikes a chord with a stranger, and sets their life in a whole new positive direction.

My recent discoveries regarding writing have sent me along that particular path; writing in the hope of helping someone, anyone, be they a friend or stranger. And it’s lovely to have feedback, in the form of a comment.

And that is my message today…a few words of kindness, however simple, and even unknowingly, can change the direction of someone’s life. Be kind. 🙂