I urge you all to write a diary. A proper one, with pen and ink, not a blog. It is unwise to be frank and indiscreet in a blog, but essential in a diary. Years on, it will remind you of entertaining details you have long forgotten. And it’s excellent practice in observation and use of English.Here are two extracts which may encourage you. Not from my own diary, because of the frank and indiscreet thing. They were both written by my daughter when she was seven. She loved her school. It was a friendly place where more socializing, arts and crafts went on than science, history or geography. Mogg was the headmistress.
'18.9.96
Today in the afternoon it was a desrster in the lavchry.
All because of Luc and Luke. Luc started it because he said “hay it would be funny if oun of us throed a looroll over the prtishon and then Luke said what like this and throed a looroll over prtishon. Then Amelia came upstairs with a lode of driping paint brushes. So now the lavchry is patey AND loorolley.
Do you thing that is afall? Mog did eney way.
Thursday 24/10
I whent to a Halween party. It achly terned out a dsrster. Evrey one amyrerd my coshoom (except horied Veictoryer). Luke was in a bad mood and the fier warks were to loud. After all that was over it straed raing (the ending to evrey outdoor party in my pont of veiw). My mumy made a costuem for Spot.'
[Spot was, and is, Minty’s much-loved soft toy dog. See photo.]
Minty's entries are wonderful. Pass on our thanks to her for allowing us to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the benefits of a diary, although Manly Men prefer the term Journal.
Minty says I should have quoted another section, about the serial mishaps that happened to her fountain pens (an expensive time for me, that was).
ReplyDeleteI prefer the term journal too, as somehow it doesn't imply an entry for each day, just every few days.
Oh please post some more, they are adorable!
ReplyDeleteI'll tell her you said that...she'll probably start charging a fee.
ReplyDeleteShe takes her current status as penniless student very seriously.
They're great, Lexi. Thanks (to her her) for sharing.
ReplyDeleteN
They're great, Lexi. Thanks (to her her) for sharing.
ReplyDeleteN
Blast! I thought that second comment wouldn't have had the stutter!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nik.
ReplyDeleteI'll pass it on to her her.
I've kept a diary since I was 12. The idea was that when I'd got to the rocking chair stage of life, I might find they'd bring back all that I'd forgotten!
ReplyDeleteOf course, all the interesting bits are kept in shorthand.
Anna Hunt
Anna, you now have to become a famous writer, because writing your autobiography would be a doddle with a diary of your life from age twelve.
ReplyDeleteI'm a spasmodic journal-keeper. Years on, years off. And I tend to write more when unhappy, which skews the record.
It's a good read, though.
Hi, Lexi,
ReplyDeleteI also have kept journals since the pre-teen times, and wrote many times a week until I turned 40. Then a funny thing happened--I met a man who listened carefully to me and remembered what I had said, and he has been the recipient of every journal entry I would have made since then. I am shocked to have stopped the habit after so many years, and when I do read back in the old books, I find myself wondering, "Who WAS that young woman?" Mary
What a nice tribute to the man responsible for your abandoning the journal!
ReplyDeleteIf Jane Austen had married her perfect match, I doubt we'd have the novels.