The Infamous Diary

Now we come to it – The Infamous Diary.  For years my family has been silenced when I say “it’s no use arguing, it’s in my diary”.  I began my diary when I was 16 and it was some time before my family was aware that I was scrawling away at this diary on a nightly basis.  It didn’t become a “blackmail” item (well, more of a silencer than a blackmail tool) until quite a few years later when siblings and even parents would recalls something that I had written down differently.

It is a looseleaf binder, originally just in a duotang, and began June 18, 1969 with these less than memorable words:

“This is to be my story. . . So far my life has not been particularly exciting.”

And ends with “This is about all that happened today, except continual accusations against me of one sort or another.”

Classic teenage self-centeredness and also a lot in between about a mother who doesn’t understand her.  I laugh as I read it because I can remember exactly how I felt and indeed I can remember writing it all down.  It was the same day that my Morfar (maternal grandfather) returned to Denmark after his long visit with us but I only mention that he went home, nothing at all about the visit.  As I go over the first few entries I find myself giggling more and more (and blush to say my grammar was not always so great in the diary).  Those were the days when “groovy” was an in-word and it appears often enough to make me smile because I may have used it in writing but I don’t think I used it much in speech (too self-conscious).

I also see how much of a chicken I was myself and how daring Peter and Jeanette were . . . and how they led me astray.  I think it is going to be fun to read and ponder whether September will be a whole month of the diary, or if I should put on the brakes!