Yes, that's a great idea. Thank you.

My great aunt kept diary for 60 years, there are 15 of them. Her children didn’t want them. Since she wrote about my great grands, grands, my parents, and me I offered to take them.

For those who think they would be waste of time, I beg to differ. So much history, so many facts about years gone by. Then clippings from newspaper articles. It’s like she was still here telling me stories and little known facts about the past generations. Directions To cemetery where great grands were, and horse burial plots.

Sometimes We laugh so hard, and sometimes shed a tear. For us it’s so much history.

I kept work diary and sports diary for probably 35 years of my 40 years service. can pretty much account for every plane, engine which (numbered in thousands) I Built or worked on, and most tennis tournaments I played in .

One day I remember well when my crew ran 6 Engines across test cell. my shift started at 6AM and ended at 11pm and was back to work at 6am. I was the only one that worked double shift from crew of 5, Operation, recorder, and ground man, it took three people minimum to test Jet engine on test stand by regulation at time (before computer programs). Most got lost from the many moves. I still from time to time reread some. For me very satisfying That I earned my pay. At time it was important to me to log what when on in day, which pretty much matched shift turnover logs, which on occasions some how got misplaced when problems arise.

Diaries
 

I have kept journals for about 20 years. I am 74. When I am 75, I will read them, probably cry quite a bit, beat my drum, play my flute, and burn them with my personal ritual in my firepit. It is like my pickleball medals, which I have not taken for years when I win one, I do not think anyone in my family would care for either the journals nor the medals as I have. Onward and forward!

Got a smart phone?
 

Use your phone to take pictures of the pages. Much faster than scanning. I take pictures of old photos too. Much easier to organize and share.

You can be creative and publish your own book with the diaries. Ie Ann Frank. Or send them to a business to be scanned or do it yourself for future generations enjoyment.
K

Has anyone done any genealogy work related to your family? If so, and you know them, I’m sure they would like to have them. If you don’t know anyone personally who has, you might check with some of the libraries that have genealogical holdings... if none with a history of your family specifically - even if a few generations back - then maybe one in the area you are from originally. A genealogical society in your home of origin or the area where you spent most of your life. People often don’t become interested in their family history until they are getting closer to become a part of it. Then they WISH they had something like this. Annette Lyttle, who is a professional genealogist, lives here in TV and is very involved in all the genealogy groups here. I’m sure she could give you some ideas and possibly help you get in contact with some places with whom you could check. Her email is annette@heritagedetective.com. Please contact her before you do away with them. Good luck!

Call the Lady Lake historical society

Don't, please don't throw out your history. Maybe your children have no interest, but your grandchildren may and I can assure you that future generations would love to have a family history of your life.

My Father had a government job which came under the Secrets Act, we would all love to know what he did in life.

I used to go to antique sales in NH and many times diaries would come up for auction, I could never understand a family not being interested in their family history.

My great grandmother wrote a diary and generations later it was found and printed piece by piece in the local newspaper as a weekly event. Another great granddaughter got possession of them and I have asked for a copy and offered to pay all costs. She never replied and I know it was sent to the correct address, so all I have is bits and pieces. My mother was adopted and this was her blood grandmother she never got to know. How wonderful it would have been to read the words to her when my mother’s eyesight failed. Mom had spent most of her life trying to find her blood family.

You never know who in the future would benefit from your words. I would not trash them.

What to do with all my diaries
 

I haven't read all of the replies, so this may be a duplicate: Bury them in a Time Capsule!

I would definitely pack them in plastic containers. Talk to your children & grandchildren about what significance they are to you. I would love to have dairies from my Mother/Grandma. KEEP them & keep them in the original form. Let them worry about what they will do with them when the time comes. They may think differently when you are no longer here. Your time, hand writing & thoughts are worth keeping.

If you really can't throw them away, why bother to digitize them? It's time consuming and expensive. My guess is that nobody is ever going to read them regardless. So, just store them somewhere.

I have been journaling for 20 years, and occasionally spend a few hours reading through them. Both happy and sad memories and many stories about my grandchildren. I have my journals labeled with the years written. I loved my mother & grandmother dearly, I would give anything to have their journals to read. Their thoughts & written words would bring them back for a short time & I would embrace them. My daughters would be upset with me if I threw mine away, they enjoy the stories I read to them from several years ago. My advice to you would be to keep them. They could be a true treasure for your grandchildren.

Your grandkids may not seem interested, but they may not have room to store/keep them yet. Maybe spread the diaries out among your youngest family members and extended family. Some may toss them, but you might be surprised that these might become prized posessions for your grandkids.