What should I do with an old diary?

Save what you want to share with (or be read by) kids and husband. Deep-six the rest.

Eat it. NOM NOM NOM.

I had many many of those. I ripped the pages out and saved them and burned and threw away the rest. Now I wished I had not have saved any of it. There are still pieces of those books floating around and I have to idea where and I hate it. I’ve learned the hard way many times that things like that, you need to have under your thumb at all times. Different people will feel different ways though.

Hold onto it. Hide it well and give it a few weeks. Think about it for a bit before you do something that you might regret later.

i’m with johnpowell on this.think carefully before any permanent action is made,think very carefully.

Keep in mind, mine were all very hurtful memories, although I grew a lot, I don’t want to have them on record. And you’re welcome by the way :) Only you can make the right decision.

Read it.

Scan it so you have a copy, then burn the original.

Or you could try looking at it this way: it might be comforting for other people, such as one’s children, to know that, like them, you once did things you were ashamed of and/or struggled with or whatever description best fits your own particular demons I have a lot of journal-type writings in my computer and at odd times I think I should delete them for the same reasons as you, but I always end up thinking that I would love to read things my mother had written when she was younger, if only to more fully recognise and identify with her humanity.

If it’s REALLY good reading—- have it illustrated and published in paperback. I’d be your first customer.

I had several journals that had a lot of stuff about me and my old friends/boyfriends (some have died since then) When I married my hubs I thought I’d leave that in the past. I occasionally reminisce and wish I had those calenders to look at and just laugh at some of the things that seemed so detrimental back then. If given the second chance, I would have never burned them. If you’re afraid of them getting into the wrong hands put it into a lockbox and stash it in the deepest darkest corner of your attic or basement.

I would scan the parts you want to keep, and package up the original in a sealed container that you put into storage for future generations. Your great grandchildren might be interested to see they have to face the same issues you did.

Put it away in some darky place. One day when you are old, read it again and relive all your expiditions through life.

I guess if you really admire those poems and other few pages it would be nice to rip them out. Then you could keep them somewhere safe.

The rest you could burn, so it would be impossible to turn up in the wrong hands.

I say keep it. It’s part of who you are. That time helped make you who you are today.

Keep it. some of the best things in life are memories.