BellaOnline Forums Beauty and Self Journals I burnt my journals. What do you do with yours?

I am blessed to be married to a guy who respects my privacy... I have nothing to hide but it's the respect thing, you know? I told him that he has my permission to read my journals after I die. We have no secrets so there's nothing that would shock or hurt him. Many years ago, I was engaged to a fellow who one day told me in quite an arrogant way that once we were married everything of mine would be HIS too, so that meant he was going to read all my journals. No, I don't think so, was my reply. He kept pushing and became more and more adamant, and the more I refused (finally declaring that I would burn the *%$# things rather than have him read them!) the madder he got, finally accusing me of "having something to hide." I did not have a thing to hide, I tried to explain; it was just the principle of privacy and respect. I would never read HIS journals if he had any. He didn't get it. That was the first of many red flags. How glad I am that I did not marry him!

About a year ago, I shredded all my own journals in a futile attempt to change myself. Now I wish I hadn't because I'm on a new journal journey.

Lynn Ann, I've been doing a lot of what I call flashbacking in my current journal. Looking back on things that happened a long time ago in the Bad Old Days�, or that for reasons of insecurity I simply could not write out at the time they happened.

I've mostly kept my diaries and journals, but there were a few that I destroyed in fits of anger when I was young, or for the aforementioned insecurity, like if I felt like I'd said too much. I'm remembering some of that stuff and trying to capture it too.

I have definitely "destroyed writings" in a desire to get rid of them - and then later really regretted having them gone.

I definitely suggest if someone is feeling that desire to pack them up and send them away to a friend's house for storage. Then do a "symbolic destruction" with paper or fire or whatever. Cleanse your spirit. But give yourself time to see if you might want the actual historical record in the future, when your emotions are more settled.

Great idea, Lisa. I guess the reason I have not felt tempted to destroy any of my more recent journals- like past 30 years or so- is that they feel like old friends. Shoot, there were times when I felt like my journal was my only friend.

Certainly the only "friend" with whom I could truly be me.

Which makes me think of a possible prompt... give me a few and I might just post it, if no one shoots me first for writing too many posts in one day!