For many, a journal can be a hard copy of their memory, a book of their own secrets, or the story of their heart and soul. Alternative names for the journal are: diary, log, record, date-book, etc.

Types of Journal Explained

Those people who use a journal as a sort of back up memory are typically busy people, and are people who like to know for sure when something happened. This type of journal will not contain personal feelings, and is truly a hard copy of the writer's memory.

The type of journal that holds the writer's secrets is most commonly referred to as a diary. This type of journal may be kept by one who feels that writing a secret down suppresses the urge to tell someone the secret or for the secret to surface in conversation.

Perhaps the most common type of journal, kept by little girls worldwide, is the emotional diary. This type of journal can be used as a sort of vent for anger, a shoulder to cry on during times of sadness, and, again, a quiet friend to tell a secret to. These types of journals/diaries are typically hidden for fear of humiliation. Common hiding places are: inside pillow cases, under mattresses, taped to the bottom sides of desks, inside a hollowed book, or, more modernly, the diary may be kept digitally on a computer.

A Bit of History, but Just a Bit

In ways, history began when a person began to write down what happened that day in what every person should have for whatever reason: a journal.