Time goes by. It was about 30 years ago since I wrote my first diary in 1974. I was in the first year of my junior high, then. The well-known "Anne Frank's Diary" had inspired me writing one. I mean, I wasn't inspired by the content of the diary. In fact, I didn't like it (I didn't read the diary but rather watched it as it had filmed. And as far as I am concerned, everything from the Nazi-era has aroused some frightening feelings, hasn't it?) The film --from the diary-- brought new information for me, that there were people who wrote down what they're going through or what came to their minds in a kind of journal, day by day, date by date.
And so I wrote the diary. I wrote about my mother was angry with me because I played to a friend's house right after school without telling her-- (How could I tell her? At that time, there's no phone line in my house. My school was on Jl. Palmerah Barat, I lived in Pejompongan, while my friend's house was in Tomang. Palmerah, Tomang and Pejompongan forms a triangle. In Slipi from Palmerah, you have to turn left to reach Tomang and to turn right to reach Pejompongan. Tomang and Pejompongan is in the opposite direction. In prior to go to Tomang, you go to Pejompongan? Aw, c'mon..)-- I wrote about my father and our roller-coaster relationship. I wrote about friends. And of course I wrote about boys: boys whom I was attracted to but ignored me, boys who broke my heart, and boys who made me sing.. And the most important of all, I wrote about my thoughts, my feelings, and what I have learned in life.
I have written several books (of diary) since then. By writing diaries, I feel more fluent in writing something. I can feel it. If I don't write for quite a long time, I'll find difficulties in pouring my stories or thoughts into words. Writing a diary is like oiling your "writing machine". However, in my opinion, writing diaries has its own disadvantages: you tend to be an introvert person. You look only into yourself when something is bothering.
I know there are some people who "draw" their diaries. They tell their experiences in drawing. One of them was a character in one of my favorite TV series in 1980's "the Fraggle Rock". What's his name again? Uh, I forget the name. Deep down in my heart, I want to have a diary with drawings in it, my drawings. It has never happened ☹, at least until now. I've never drawn pictures in my diaries. Not yet.
I wrote diaries during my high school and university years. I still wrote diaries when I have worked. I brought my diary when I was assigned to a project in Yogya, 1994. And then, I met Endra and I forgot my diary.. (how so? busy? with him?..)
Now, in the 3rd millenium, in the 21st century, we seldom write on papers. We type on our computer keyboard. Technology development let us publish our diary(ies) in the internet in what we call weblog or blog. We can add photos, drawings, links to other websites in our blogs.
Me too syndrome. Endra taught me to sign up to Blogger, and tara..... I have my own blog.
In the coming years, what's the future like? Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, wil be. How many decades again will I pass? You'd better prepare.. Master your fear, young Jedi.
Yangkung is my father and Titang is my lovely nephew (Ita-Oji's son).
