What to do with all my diaries...

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  #31  
Old 06-17-2020, 07:42 AM
newgirl newgirl is offline
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Please do not throw them away! I wish so much the mother I never got to know or any of my family prior would have left me a part of them , a part of your history is the reason that your great great great granddaughter will choose some of the choices she does. Your children will change their mind also once you are gone.
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Old 06-17-2020, 07:50 AM
DonnaNi4os DonnaNi4os is offline
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Please don’t throw them out. While your kids don’t seem interested now, they may feel very different when you are gone. If you have grandkids they may want them. My mom used to write poetry. She developed dementia and in the early stages she threw them out. My heart is still broken. How I wish I had them.
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Old 06-17-2020, 08:17 AM
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Originally Posted by retiredguy123 View Post
Wow! Scanning is easy, but very time consuming. You have a lot more patience and free time than most people I know.
I always make time for meaningful things. Yes. I have done it too.
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Old 06-17-2020, 08:19 AM
Poirier Poirier is offline
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Donate them to a genealogy/historian society.
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Old 06-17-2020, 09:02 AM
Teachbeach Teachbeach is offline
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There may be an aspiring writer that would write a story of your life using the diaries. Perhaps a school or college English teacher or librarian can help you find someone?
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Old 06-17-2020, 09:16 AM
kendi kendi is offline
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Originally Posted by jj6426 View Post
It's about time for me to start cleaning up and clearing out--but just don't know what to do with my many years' worth of diaries. I suppose I should just toss them because my kids don't seem interested. My only hesitation is that maybe someday my grandchildren would feel differently. Although many of the entries related to my everyday activities--such as school events, dating, family problems, I also included my opinions of what was going in the world--politics, fashion, religion, trends, etc. I thought I would put this question out there to see if anyone has any solutions or suggestions. Thank you!
If your children don't toss them, they could be valuable to someone down the line. I know I enjoy learning about ancestors that died before my time but I don't think I would sit down and read all of that. I could see someone with a talent for writing books using them if they are interesting. Personally I would toss them though. Prefer not to have extra stuff lying around anymore.
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Old 06-17-2020, 09:38 AM
manaboutown manaboutown is offline
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I have a few letters sent by some ancestors. The most interesting are from soldiers written during the Civil War (Union side) and WWI. First hand accounts of what they experienced were fascinating.

Perhaps if the OP scans just observations and interesting topics it would leave a good and worthwhile read.
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Old 06-17-2020, 10:17 AM
MandoMan MandoMan is offline
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Originally Posted by jj6426 View Post
It's about time for me to start cleaning up and clearing out--but just don't know what to do with my many years' worth of diaries. I suppose I should just toss them because my kids don't seem interested. My only hesitation is that maybe someday my grandchildren would feel differently. Although many of the entries related to my everyday activities--such as school events, dating, family problems, I also included my opinions of what was going in the world--politics, fashion, religion, trends, etc. I thought I would put this question out there to see if anyone has any solutions or suggestions. Thank you!
I agree with you that someday people may be fascinated by your diaries. I have a journal my grandmother kept now and then when she was a teenager, and I treasure it. The current excellent TV series “Gentleman Jack” is based on a two MILLION word diary written in a secret code by an amazing woman in England in the 1830s. James Boswell and Samuel Pepys wrote important journals, too.

I’ve just published the journal I kept from 1974-75, when I worked in the operating room of a bush hospital in Rwanda. Have a look! It’s called “They Don’t Eat Missionaries Anymore.” Lots of photos.
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Old 06-17-2020, 10:20 AM
travlin50 travlin50 is offline
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Take pictures of the pages, then store them on an external hard drive.
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Old 06-17-2020, 10:48 AM
retiredguy123 retiredguy123 is offline
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Here is a "very" rough estimate to hire a company to scan 10 years of diaries.

10 years x 365 days x $.08 per page = $292.
  #41  
Old 06-17-2020, 11:23 AM
junieben junieben is offline
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Have them scanned. There are places that will. Literary club can help you self publish. At the very least have a box with your name on it. My Life (your name)
Please don’t discard a life time record.
Child can chang their minds.
  #42  
Old 06-17-2020, 11:47 AM
cathy34787 cathy34787 is offline
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I can only say that I wish my Grandma or even my Mom has kept diaries so that I could understand how they lived and dealt with the major (and minor) events in their lives. My Mom now has Alzheimer’s and I can’t get those memories from her. It saddens me that as a kid and after I didn’t think these things were important. Give the disries to your grandkids. They’ll be glad you did one day.
  #43  
Old 06-17-2020, 11:57 AM
Curtisbwp Curtisbwp is offline
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Two answers...
1. Burn them so no one reads about your deepest thoughts.
2. Clean them up. Sanatize them, condence them and put them in a readable format and donate them to a library.
My wife is a jenelogist and has checked out biographies of local citizens from which she dreives the personal feelings of a wildwood citizen no politics, no left or right leaning just true life as seen through the eyes of a working man.


Quote:
Originally Posted by jj6426 View Post
It's about time for me to start cleaning up and clearing out--but just don't know what to do with my many years' worth of diaries. I suppose I should just toss them because my kids don't seem interested. My only hesitation is that maybe someday my grandchildren would feel differently. Although many of the entries related to my everyday activities--such as school events, dating, family problems, I also included my opinions of what was going in the world--politics, fashion, religion, trends, etc. I thought I would put this question out there to see if anyone has any solutions or suggestions. Thank you!
  #44  
Old 06-17-2020, 12:37 PM
OlifOlif OlifOlif is offline
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A good friend of mine in California who is an archivist would be willing to take your diaries for preservation.

For more details, contact Rich at details(at)accessiblyliveoffline.com -Thanks!
  #45  
Old 06-17-2020, 01:10 PM
LynneH LynneH is offline
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Box them and label them for your grandchildren. Please believe me, they will be pleased to have them even if it is after you are gone.
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diaries, opinions, world--politics, included, religion

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