Featuring . . . A Very Well-used Diary


diary

Where would I be without my diary?

That’s it in the picture, sitting on our Christmas Special. Which I better get on with reading!

When I first started this job, that it seemed like sticky notes were enough to keep me on course.

But sooner or later there comes a time when you need a more elegant solution.

The to-do list outgrows the Post-It, or — catastrophically — the sticky bit of the note comes unstuck from the edge of your computer monitor, and it floats away to some forgotten place down the side of the desk.

In the end you need something more reliable.

But just as everybody thought the digital world would spell the end of magazines, I would imagine that a lot of folk expected phones and tablets to spell the end of paper diaries.

A large number of us here in the office, however, still rely on them.

I’ve just ordered a new one for next year, and I’ve been keeping the last six or seven years’ worth tucked away in a drawer.

The unsaid language of the handwriting

I’ve been trying to get into the habit of noting down little life details in them, as well as all the work stuff. Because however trivial something seems to you at the time, it’s amazing how interesting it can be to see four years or so down the line.

A digital diary could probably do that, but you miss the unsaid language of the handwriting itself.

Was it written hastily? Did you double-underline it because you were frustrated at yourself for forgetting to do it? Did you put a big tick and a smiley face beside something difficult when you finally completed it?

Sometimes I wonder if the fact that we use digital devices so much for communication is changing the subtleties of our communication. And removing a bit of the character from our written and verbal language.

We put a lot of thought into the diary that comes with our current Special ( the autumn one).

It’s got more room for your appointments, so we hope it’ll prove more useful.

Well, my diary says that I’ve got a meeting to get to this afternoon.

I better wrap this up and get ready!

Catch up with Alex’s blog by clicking here.

You can subscribe to receive all our Specials at the DC Thomson Shop.

Alex Corlett

Alex is the "Friend's" Features Editor, working with the talented Features Team to bring you everything from cryptic crosswords to financial advice, knitting patterns to international travel and inspirational real life stories. Always on the hunt for a new feature idea, Alex also enjoys cycling and loves a good tea room.