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Dear diary...

A diary is as integral to the New Year as resolutions

"Bridget Jones - Spinster and lunatic" begins the diary of the main character in the movie, `Bridget Jones' Diary.' For some people, the diary is just that: a self-confessional account, an emotional record of events, a nostalgic trip down memory lane. For others, it is just an unpaid secretary who reminds them of things to do and appointments to keep. Either way, a diary is inevitable.

"I use a diary to note down important and daily events and to collect facts from whatever I read," says James Pathrose who heads the English department at a leading private educational institute in the city.

Anand S. Nair, an engineering student, shares the same sentiment. To him, a diary is a good record of events, which he can revisit as he grows older. "Maintaining a diary is useful for the present generation as it inculcates discipline," feels film scholar and academic Sudha Warrier. She also thinks that a diary is a useful tool for writers and creative people who can note down ideas as they occur.

Irregular entries

Most people resolve to maintain a diary, but the entries soon become irregular. Rajesh Menon who works in Technopark confesses, "I write a diary, but it's on and off."

For some, the diary is being overshadowed by its modern counterparts — the mobile phone and the blog. These days, Menon uses his mobile phone to remind him of his daily appointments. Despite the changeover, he feels nothing electronic can replace a diary. Also while his mobile phone cannot store details for a long time, his diary remains with him forever, he adds.

Another disadvantage is that only tech-savvy people can maintain a blog, which can be considered an online diary, points out Anand. "Besides, we write what others want to see in a blog, but a diary is honest," he says.

Perhaps that is why Vineeta Pant, an English teacher, considers the diary as an extension of oneself. "When I first came to the city, I used to feel lonely and shared everything with my diary," she adds. What brings joy to her now is the little diary her mother kept from as early as 1958.

Her daughter Vibha, a class 12 student, regrets not having enough time to write a diary. However, she enjoys reading her grandmother's little diary and also looks forward to reading her mother's.

However, over the last few years, the tendency to buy a diary has waned.

Corporate gifts

Most people would rather get it free. Mohanachandran, manager of a leading department store in the city, says, "There are only a select few, including some youngsters, who regularly buy diaries and maintain them too." But there are some clients like Technopark and insurance companies who purchase diaries in bulk and use them as corporate gifts, he says.

With prices ranging from Rs 95. to Rs. 975 or more, diaries are popular gifts. Leather bound or embossed with designs, corporate diaries are getting fancier by the day.

Corporate or not, a diary is as integral to the New Year as the resolutions. And like resolutions, they become part of life - albeit sporadically.

ANUPAMA R

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