Dear You,
I started diary writing when I was almost twelve years old. I wrote a lot, and draw for a long time: family life, friends, and school were important (the drawings a bit pale):
Here you see me with my (then) best friend Atie:
and little misfortunes as The Curious Incident of the Dog, who mistook our sledge for a tree were described meticulously in word and picture:
Atie and I wanted to stay together for all our life, thus I, then 13, was willing to marry her brother, so we would be relatives, Michael was five years older than I and allowed to drive the Merc of his father - here you see an interested young man with a tall, but very young girl:
Sorry to say that my family did a lot to sabotage my plans. Long walking tours (with my little sister),
Lots of sport:
And then Atie's father was called to Karlsruhe to become a Federal Public Prosecutor, so we wrote each other volumes of letters (with drawings, of course).
I wrote (almost) all my life. So: the question is what to do with all those diaries? Of course I will keep the childhood diaries - and the many ones that I wrote (with lots of quotations) during the time when our son lived at home.
But the others? Even now I still write. And as you see: I have always the intention to "Make it short!", but... By now there are over 150 diaries. I will think quite a while what I will do with them.
I still remember that I was utterly downcast when my family told me that my great grandmother Anne-Marie von Kroge had written some diaries and that one had fulfilled her last will and put them with her into her coffin. (In my case I would need a mausoleum...)
You must donate them. Now, let's think of to whom.
ReplyDeleteJoanne, if I succeed in 'correcting' the entrance dates to 1800 or earlier, I might have a chance :-)
DeletePlease leave them so that somehow they will always be available to your family. I so wish there was something like that for my ancestors.
ReplyDeleteDear Emma, of course I will keep those many diaries with drawings and those concerning son - it is the inbetween which makes me wonder...
DeleteDear Britta - leave the decision to your heirs, and continue to enjoy them yourself from time to time.
ReplyDeleteI have shelves of diaries too, and it surprising how useful they can be when we are trying to remember or pinpoint a particular event or happening from the past.
Dear Rosemary, they insist on keeping.. As to the usefulness of pinpointing: ask husband :-)
DeleteBritta... Keep them safe and snug on your shelves. What a joy for your son or perhaps grandchildren to read about your life through your own words in years to come. I never throw anything of sentiment away that I don't regret within days! Thanks for sharing a glimpse into your past... Especially when those wonderful diaries helped form you into the sensational Britta of today! Smiles...Susan
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Susan, for your very kind words! And yes: when I threw something of sentiment away (quite a lot of letters with diverse red ribbons around them - and no: I kept of course the funny letters of Atie) I regretted it later - though I am quite sure that I would have reread them very often - but: I might...
DeleteA heartwarming tale indeed, I'd say keep them and call upon them from time to time. Greetings and best wishes!
ReplyDeleteGreat to see you here, Blogaratti, and thank you for your advice.
DeletePut them in a time capsule with some other odds and ends. Bury it somewhere.
ReplyDeleteI would never bury something, not even let myself be - so cramped and dark... But time capsule sounds good.
DeleteSomebody put something in a hole in our local park and set a stone on top with a date about 20 years in the future. That's what gave me the idea.
DeleteI see - but only 20 years?
DeleteReminds me of the hilarious film "The Brand New Testament", where everybody was told the date when they will die. (Hello, Kevin!)
Time is relative. Life is speeding up.
DeleteTwenty years ago I was taking my holiday film to be developed; a week to see the results. I thought that was fast!
Goodness me - you really are a prolific diary keeper - you should definitely keep them, maybe edit them and turn them into your memoir.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Elaine - the problem with memoirs is, that one must be either famous, or very original.
DeleteBut I found out that the diaries of childhood even interest my son&DiL: so many things have changed - professions vanished (think of the elevator-man!).
Husband says: If ever son gets famous, biographers will be very thankful to me (husband often does exhibitions, and sometimes it is so difficult to find texts, things, drawings). But then: son doesn't even allow me here a photo or a remark on Facebokk :-)
See how that vexes the proud mother? "Facebook" of course.
DeleteWell, as I see it, Britta, you must either burn them or save them. It must be intentional.
ReplyDeleteThere may, one day, be a granddaughter who will treasure them. Perhaps there will be a grandniece. At the very least there will be someone who will cry from gratitude as she discovers this treasure trove to support her doctoral thesis on a mid-century childhood.
To burn, or save? I say 'save'.
Dear Pondside,
Deletethank you for such a clear advice! I have no doubts about my childhood diaries - or those concerning our son. It is the rest of them which cause me quite a headache - but I will ponder it carefully. I cannot imagine that anyone might be interested in those discussions of my work (started after studying in the Eighties) or private life - sometimes even I get bored reading that :-) But then: I'll wait.