Diaries are a way for people to record their daily lives, their thoughts and emotions, and often a way to gain clarity and understanding of who they are, their desires and their ambitions. People have been recording diaries since the earliest days of papyrus paper, and while the contents of diaries may only be important to a select few people, that significance weighs as heavily to those individuals as any other kind of book. Diaries are available in a variety of forms, from simple bound books of blank pages to elaborately marbled Venetian paper with leather binding. Some diaries feature locks that attempt to ensure privacy, though these locks are more for show than any serious attempt at security. Books, after all, are tough, but they are made of paper and soft materials. Diaries are wonderful gifts and sell especially well at the holidays. As a new year approaches, many people make a resolution to keep a diary. Diaries have been shown to be an important tool in self-awareness and mental stability, and it is advised that anybody going through a particularly emotional time keep a diary. The same is true of anybody who fears that their actions, or the actions of others around them, may end up in a court of law. By keeping diaries, we are also preserving history beyond the headlines. Many scholars have used older diaries to research and understand bygone eras. History, it is said, is written by the victors. History is also written by anybody who cares to write it. |
