Last week I bought a paper shredder. I've been meaning to do this for quite a while since I'm preparing to sort through all of my old journals and diaries that I have boxed up in the basement. Everyone always says that journaling is a wonderful hobby and that it helps you sort through your thoughts by getting all your emotions out on paper. However, nobody ever tells a fourteen-year-old that while keeping a journal may be therapeutic, you may also want to punch yourself in the face a decade later upon re-reading all of your whiny, suburban, teenange ANGST.
Plus, if I ever decide to run for president I should eliminate all incriminating evidence that may tarnish my squeaky clean image, right? But then that would include deleting this page as well so I guess public office is out for me.
I've been thinking for a while that I would be horrified if years from now either Juli or Ava stumbled upon an old diary of mine and proceeded to use my own words against me. I thought at first that I should burn the darn books but since I don't have a fireplace a shredder will have to do. Hey, it cross cuts! I'm planning on scanning in a few pages for nostalgias sake but omigid the bulk of it is really, really bad. Part of me wishes I could cut my teenage self some more slack but the other part just doesn't want my grandchildren laughing at what a weenie I was.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I've wondered about this. When I was a girl, I thought that it was very romantic to keep a diary--some day, after I was dead, someone would want to read about my lame life and think it quaint, if not provincial. HA! Now I'm feeling the way you do: posterity isn't really going to want to read most of the stuff when it's the same stuff most girls that age write about. Face it: no one really even likes the angst-ridden portions of the Diary of Anne Frank... ROFL
ReplyDeletei know exactly how you feel. i went through a bunch of old journals a few years ago, and found them to just be full of negativity and depressive thoughts. i thought that i would never want to read those again and relive the 'pain' i was going through. i had a mantra - no more negative energy, so i got rid of them. there are days that i wish i had them around, but if i did, and i read them now, i would do the exact same thing. definately save a few memorable entries, poems, etc, and shred the rest!
ReplyDelete