Friday, December 23, 2016

When I was younger, I'd enjoy crafting my own stories and creating characters that lived in some other world similar to my own. Realistic fiction, you may call it, everyday stories about kids and teenagers going to school and learning about friendship and family. I always felt that my writing was too simple. These stories may seem dull to others who yearn for science fiction and fantasy, but for me, I liked thinking of stories that could happen in real life, that reflected the world – people, places, objects – that I knew and love.

When I reached the 6th grade, school and friends became more complicated. The work was more challenging and the type of friends I talked to changed as we transitioned from elementary school to middle school. There was more drama and I had much more thoughts than my pre-preteen mind had. So, I decided to pick up something I had abandoned a while ago – my diary. Back in 3rd grade, I had written maybe 2-3 entries in that notebook and stopped ever since. I wanted a place to write freely and put my thoughts down onto paper, whether to pour my anger, sadness, or happiness, just any overwhelming emotion I felt as a 12-year-old. Throughout middle school, I’d try to write in my notebook every week or at least every month, to jot down and update myself on what was happening at school and in my life. My diary helped me during my years growing up in middle school, transitioning from elementary school to high school.

As I began high school, the diary functioned similarly. I’d write down any grades I achieved that I felt proud of, any funny stories that my friends and I had at lunch, or anything I felt excited about in the future. My handwriting changed throughout the years, and it would be interesting and fun to look back at previous diary entries to see how I was feeling each specific day and what was going on in my life. It would be a nice way to remember those good old days.

By my senior year, my diary became a place where I wrote down memories and stories so that I could remember them in the future. I had heard from many that senior year literally flies back and they advised me to pause and live in the moment, enjoying senior year and its memories while it lasted. The little things in life, the people and conversations that made me smile, the now small stresses and worries about college, and just general updates in my life. I wanted to write these down in writing so that I could keep them forever. High school doesn’t last forever, but its memories can.

I treasure my diary so much and I regret that I have been so busy this past semester in my first year at college that I haven’t been able to stop and reflect, writing down everything. I have so many new memories that I want to remember, and hopefully sometime I will get the chance to put it down on paper. For now, maybe this blog will count?

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading my first blog entry and that maybe you even got something out of it. I highly recommend having a diary no matter how old you are because it truly is so memorable and will help you look at life differently, in a more positive and self-improving way. Writing is such a powerful tool and it can be so cleansing and soothing, a fantastic way to destress and reenergize.

Best of luck,

Anita