I am a compulsive diarist. On the floor of my closet is a box-full of journals that I've collected over the past twenty-years. The oldest one is a fabric-bound book I purchased in my teens--I liked the pink roses on a blue background. There's also a very pretty lime-green notebook from college, as well as several spiral notebooks. In recent years, I've become a big fan of composition books and I've filled probably ten of them in the last five years or so. I don't write every day, but I do write often, and it is an essential part of my life. I am the only person who reads those journals--I am my only audience, and I like it that way. It helps me keep track of who I am and helps me maintain sanity and composure in this crazy life. I will probably keep writing in those journals till the day I die.
However, nowadays, diaries are no longer all private and personal, and I've come to realize that it is OK to share SOME of your thoughts with the world.
Recently, my husband convinced me to check out Daily Kos and start posting comments and diaries. Over the past few days, I've become throroughly engaged by the conversations I see happening here. Participating in Daily Kos has reawakened my progressive-self (which hasn't been doing much since the late 90s), and has given me new hope that real, productive, purposeful talk is possible in this world. It's also encouraged me to add my voice and join the community of diarists here.
A little bit about myself. My life is fairly simple. I teach high school English. I read a lot. I write. I take care of my children, my home and my husband. I love to cook, walk and watch movies (though, these days I usually fall asleep before the end of the first act). I go to church every Sunday and am trying to find ways to increase my involvement with my congregation (which I love!) In former lives, I was an athlete (volleyball) and a volunteer magazine editor (Teen Voices, a feminist magazine written for, by, and about teen girls--I highly recommend it!) Now, as I said, I am primarily a mother, teacher, wife, reader, writer and church-goer.
These are probably the things I will write about in my diaries: parenthood, education, marriage, books, my writing, my faith. These are the things I am expert on, so this is what I will write about. (Sorry for all the sentences ended with preposistions--I'm an English teacher--I should know better--but, in my defense, this is informal writing) Perhaps some of you will find my topics of interest.
I will count on you, the DailyKos community, to keep me abreast of other stuff that is equally important, but that I don't have much expertise on: taking care of the environment, political happenings, movements for social change, etc.
OK--I think that's enough for now. That's my first online diary!!!