Personally, I never carried on a private diary for a great length of time. I would write thoughts and feelings, re-read them months later, decide they were stupid, and proceed to shred everything. Haha. Like you, my blog and lj are the only things that come close to a personal diary. It is easier for me to keep that up (and to enjoy reflecting) than it was for me to just write. Why? I think partly because it is less effort, and partly because (as you say) it is nice to think that someone out there is reading. I often feel the need to express my thoughts and feelings, but I always feel more relieved when I vent to people (as opposed to a blank page). Things like blogger allow me to vent (knowing that more than likely SOMEONE will read), but at the same time, I don’t have to feel that I am burdening someone with whatever emotion I happen to be expressing. Just knowing others read makes it more like I’m expressing emotions to an actual person (but I don’t have to worry about annoying them…hopefully…). :-P Oh. That reminds me… One of your first statements is, “we don’t write for others to read.” I think most of us here write for our own benefit, but I know that when dealing with online journals, sometimes people DO write things for the benefit of others (be it positive or negative). Hehe. I started writing because there were so many things I needed to say at the time, but knew I never could. As time went on, my writing took a different turn and became for my own personal recollections. After seeing my grandmother battle Alzheimer’s, I have felt the need to record the important memories and insignificant little things that make up my life. I love looking back at Grandma’s writings because it allows me to know who she was…what her life was. I hoard my memories (journals, photos, programs, etc.). I want to make sure that I have at least a piece of that not only for myself, but also for whoever might be interested in years to come. Ramble finished.
 

I suppose it becomes a excercise in self reflection. The act of writing helps you re-narrate events as Brittany and Forest said. Its a good thing to do for anyone it kinda... relieves the soul, as cheesy as that sounds. Maybe we dont do it enough these days. We just go through life without reflecting on what we do... its like we just walk through it casting each day aside, never learning, growing, and appreciating each one. I know most of us are still young but that whole phrase "youth is wasted on the young" dosnt need to apply to us.