Let’s face it. We are nowhere near developing the ability to travel back in time, or even more fantastical, bottle up our memories for later revisiting. We often find ourselves in the middle of a moment so precious that we wish it would last forever. However, moments become memories, and memories eventually decay with time. Human memory, as we all at one point discover, is unreliable; we might remember the happiness that a certain event caused but the precise details such as the color of the sky that day or the exact wording of a compliment given will be forgotten. Therefore, these shards of memories give rise to nostalgia: a longing to revisit that moment in its truest form. Naturally, we turn to forms of art that will help us capture our experiences. The best one? Journaling.

Journaling can take many shapes and forms, but the one in question in this article is its role in capturing the past. Therapeutic in nature, it involves recording your thought-processes and meaningful occurrences, regardless of however arbitrary they seem. Granted, it can be quite intimidating to start journaling, whether out of sheer laziness or fear of someone else reading your innermost thoughts (the anxiety is real!). Or maybe due to the fear of someone publishing it after your death for the world to read. Yikes. Regardless, the fact still stands that journals are essentially a way to preserve time and human experiences—the ultimate reason why you should consider keeping one too.

The 1960s Spiderman was known for his adventures in fighting crime and tough attitude among fans, yet his writings reveal a more gentle persona underneath.

There are many reasons why journaling supersedes other forms of preserving our memories. While it is a subjective matter, writing is perhaps the best form to accurately capture a moment. The way language captures the exactness of a moment is unparalleled; writing about something allows you to channel your emotions and all happenings of the day in a way other forms of art simply cannot. Consider for instance photographs, a very prominent method used to commemorate an event. Photographs rarely convey the full picture (no pun intended) and make it impossible for one to remember the innermost feelings which memory will eventually erase. Hence photographs, as well as paintings, merely offer fragments which, in turn, can aggravate nostalgia. 

Now, there’s no hard evidence to back up that writing about your life can help battle the terrifying notion of forgetfulness and the nostalgia that accompanies it. Nevertheless, some famous journals (both fiction and non-fiction) do provide some evidence of the way they can act as a time capsule.

1. The Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith:

This is a fictional journal that follows a middle-aged man named Charles as he navigates his way through life. The title of this book is definitely striking as the word “nobody” deludes one into thinking that the central character is depressed and has no sense of self-worth (relatable?). The book quickly dispels all such expectations as it is literally an account of a person’s day: his son’s worrisome romantic pursuits, the struggle to find a good butcher and a fight with a random cabman. Throughout the book, Charles reminds us that even though these events seem trivial at the moment, one day he’ll long to return to them. Though not a standard prose novel, the book still provides an intimate insight into the lives of a suburban couple and the society they live in, proving how journals can function as literary time-machines.

2. Diary of Anne Frank:

Speaking of time machines, this book is a history lesson on its own. Even though it is written in a telltale format, one feels transported to a horrific chapter in history as we see the effects of German Nazism on an ordinary citizen. Despite being written in a generic diary format, the book is no less riveting than a meticulously descriptive fantasy novel. Equipped with dialogue and sometimes even illustrations of their living situation, the book is a life preserved in paper and ink as we see Anne’s character shine through the bleak circumstances of her life. Reading her entries makes you feel that you personally know Anne and have experienced the horrors of war, providing a remarkable example of the powers of journaling.

3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid:

Now, this is quite a juvenile example but it works perfectly. Unlike other methods of recording your memories, journals can also show you the person you were before, and how your personality has shaped over the years. Though written as a diary, the book still offers character development for Greg as he goes from wanting to become popular more than anything to risking his reputation for his friend’s sake. This growth in his character is not just a plot device for narrative effect; it is a realistic portrayal of one maturing over time. Therefore, journals offer a valuable way for self-reflection. You get to see how your thinking has evolved overtime, making you the person you are today. The downside of this, however, is that you also have solid evidence of how cringy and dramatic you were in your younger years which can be quite embarrassing to read when older (we’ve all been there).

Hopefully, this article leaves you with an enthusiasm to not let the present slip by and become an obscure memory. Just think of how gratifying it would be to be on the cusp of old age and still be able to relive days gone by through a written record of your life. What might seem insignificant now might be the thing you miss the most later when it is gone. As best put by Virginia Woolf, who journaled religiously, 

“Never mind; I fancy old Virginia, putting on her spectacles to read of March 1920 will decidedly wish me to continue. Greetings! my dear ghost; and take heed that I don’t think 50 a very great age. Several good books can be written still; and here’s the bricks for a fine one.”

By Fiza Wasim
TLC Writer

Note: the views expressed in the article solely belong to the writer and do not reflect TLC.