The mundane of day-to-day life is one that paradoxically thrills others. But what about diary writing entertains us, and more importantly, what do we gain?
I am a huge enthusiast of diary writing. Whether that be for the self or for others, journals offer us a window into the intimate. The intimate of daily life that shapes who we are. Arguably one of the most famous diaries, Anne Frank detailed her life in hiding during the Nazi occupation of Germany. This diary showed the world how to have compassion and empathy while also detailing the hopes and dreams of a young girl that could never be. Heartbreaking and powerful, the journal fundamentally changed the world, therefore demonstrating the profound impact of a diary.
Moving more narrowly into this genre, famous authors such as Virginia Woolf, Susan Sontag, and Sylvia Plath all have published diaries. These journals reveal the beauty of everyday life as we learn the inherent nature of action and consequence. In Woolf’s diary, we learn about all aspects of her life; ie, the people she observed, her daily activity, her thoughts, particularly about herself and life, and anything else that pertained to her. Diary writing is unique because it unfolds in the lens of the individual. A journal can never be the same as the other because of the distinct perspective that the writer holds. Only she can tell us the meaning of the world, and this exact meaning can never be replicated. As we read other journals, such as the other authors’ mentioned, we learn how to piece together a fragmented picture as to what the world could mean to us through the writers’ experiences and observations.
But why does this entertain us? Perhaps it is because we are hungry to learn about what the world can hold for us. By reading these authors’ journals, we more or less see what is available for us. What actions we can be taking to create a life that chases our dreams. Maybe we can find ourselves relating to people who we hold in high regard, because honestly, what’s more fun than envisioning ourselves as distinguished? Ultimately, our inherent curiosity to what people are doing at all times drives us to delve into the world of others, and what we gain is much more precious. What we gain is an idea of how our day-to-day deeds can shape society, in turn, illuminating the beauty of a simple observation.
“Valentine’s Diary” by HerryLawford is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
