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The Diary - aka Journal

Some years ago I began writing my thoughts in small notebooks. They were entered as I considered them.  It was not daily, weekly or anything on a time schedule.  When I returned to them months or years afterwards I was amazed.  I came to understand my thoughts, how my mind worked, and how my thinking had changed. 

Working definitions:  A diary is a record of events, indications, and particularly feelings made daily or at least regularly.  A journal is more like an account of events, thoughts, or ideas made intermittently.There are lots of these: Travel journals, Diet journals, Workout diaries, Sleep diaries, Tagebuch, War diaries, Fictional diaries, and Unusual diaries.  Some are just newsy, a sharing with friends.  Naturally, many if not most politicians keep diaries and/or journals of their encounters with other politicians, in person or by phone.

Have I created a diary?  Not quite.  My notes are more like a journal.  
People make them for a variety of reasons.  Some are for very private purposes, some with the view to future publication, some in anticipation of lawsuits. Of the second category there are numerous published examples.  For my journal of thoughts and ideas, the goal was strictly private.  I've made entries off and on for many years. 

What I noticed first and foremost, was that I was talking to my future self.  I would reflect, "At least I could think way back then." Or I would reflect, "How could I have been that stupid?"   One thing I've learned is that maybe I'm not such a good judge of character.  Lot's of reflections occur when looking into one's past.  But you can't look there when is all you have is your memory -  a faulty and ever changing journal.

With the newest form of diary/journal - aka blogs, there are lots and lots of online diaries and journals.  Though actual numbers are difficult to find, their number is estimated at between 500 million and one billion worldwide.  So, many folks seem to have a desire to say something.  They create their blog.  Sometimes they give a good introduction, but often there is nothing else there.  Simply pick a common word and attach link to blogspot, i.e. http://your_word.blogspot.com/.  The odds are there is a blog with about nothing there. (Yes, there is a http://word.blogspot.com/; one post only - the intro.)  People want to say something, but ultimately have nothing to say - or just don't know how to say it - or don't have time -or ..., well there are lots of or's.   I'm sure there is a phd dissertation in here somewhere. :)
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