Alan Bennett said in Writing Home that one of the pleasures of reading diaries is that they are like conversations - even if the conversation is with oneself. Keeping a diary for me has always been a creative necessity, a place of exploration or simply a place to express my thoughts and opinions.
Dear Diary,
- I know, you've been sulking for quite some time now. I really do not like the expression on your face ! I haven't been neglecting you at all. It's just that I had other things to do!
- This is not an excuse, Anastasia! What other things? Like leaving comments to people you have never met, for example?
- Don't be unfair! Be grateful for small mercies! At least, you're still here on Typepad! You used to be a poor, miserable notebook, you had a silverplated key and a lock and silly, perfumed pages. But I've upgraded you, I've made you electronic with all the great advantages that this entails.
- Ah right! I know! You've already told me! Pssst ...advantages?
- Yes, advantages! And I won't go through them again! But, it seems that you refuse to move with the times. Instead of counting your blessings, you're venting all the time.
- Oh really? If I were still a notebook, you'd be able to write to me just as you are able to write on the board and mark your students' homework! What kind of technology is this? You even used to draw on my pages!
- Enough is enough! First of all, I have an interactive board now! You'll never appreciate what I've done for you. Never! And you know why? Because you'll never get over your paper-minded paper-oriented nature. You have a sort of ...paper complex!
- Ok! Ok ! Calm down. I promise I'll make a better effort to improve my electronic nature. Any suggestions?
- Now you're being wiser! Which is not like you at all, but anyway. Here are a few tips for you to follow:
1. Stop venting all the time. I'm here for you when I have some more free time.
2. You need to become more aware of your electronic nature. I have many other friends now and not much time online.
- You didn't use to have many friends over here. I used to be your one and only great friend. Isn't that why you locked me?
- See what I mean ? You are interrupting me! I changed my comments settings. Comments are automatically closed after two weeks. Sorry for not having asked for your permission first!
-Why can't I comment?
-Because you are only a diary! You are not human and because messages from automated machines go directly to Spam!
- Oh dear ! Am I an automated machine?
- At the moment you still remain a silly paper-minded diary! And as for drawing...I can draw anything here. I don't need to be a talented artist to do so.
-Ok , you showed me once. What's tip number 3?
3. Behave yourself or else ....remember ONE click just ONE single click can send you directly to the recycle bin!
- But I'm not made of ....paper any more to be recycled! I thought you said I was electronic!
-Shut up, will you?
(This post was originally published on February 1st, 2009)
Anastasia-I loved this post : ) It shows your creative mind very well!
Posted by: Tipper | March 01, 2013 at 01:46 AM
Wonderful post! I loved this funny conversation with your diary so much!!
Posted by: Stefania | March 01, 2013 at 05:54 PM
After a long ay at work, I came home, kicked off my shoes and logged onto Typepad to see what you've been up to! Today was one of those terrible days when everything goes wrong and I definetely needed a good laugh! Your crazy conversation with your diary is hilarious! Thanks for the laugh, Anastasia.
Posted by: Christina | March 01, 2013 at 07:21 PM
Thank you for this very amusing conversation with your diary, Anastasia. I've been keeping a diary since my early teens and this has helped me greatly to overcome emotional upsets and come in terms with an emotional problem by seeing it in a different light.
Posted by: Laura | March 02, 2013 at 12:56 PM
I love your sense of humour and creative mind!
Posted by: Andy | March 02, 2013 at 01:17 PM
Oh Anastasia, what a funny post! I think you come down hard on your poor diary! :-)
Posted by: Constantinos T | March 02, 2013 at 06:46 PM
It was such a pleasure reading your post, Anastasia! I keep an online diary in which I jot down my thoughts and opinions on various issues.
Posted by: Lakis Ioannou | March 03, 2013 at 07:10 PM
What an amusing and creative way to write....I used to write a diary long before blogging began. They say blogging is now the electronic version of keeping a diary.
I remember when I was in 3rd grade, I started to write a diary and that's when I started to learn that I love to write and that I have the talent in writing. Unfortunately, all the diaries I kept and stored had been washed away by the floods in my hometown in the Philippines.
Posted by: A Twitter User | March 04, 2013 at 07:48 PM
I started keeping a diary in Grade 3 at elementary school when I was nine. I've still got those diaries but I lost my 1974 diary after the Turkish invasion in Cyprus. Unfortunately, the holiday appartment we had then was in a building that had collapsed due to the air raids.
Posted by: Anastasia | March 04, 2013 at 09:13 PM
Laura, I also feel that keeping a diary for many years has helped me overcome many emotional upsets, especially in my teens.
Posted by: Anastasia | March 04, 2013 at 09:16 PM