A diary is a book kept to record daily events or a person's thoughts and Impressions. A diary can be a useful aid to memory. If a person is in the habit of forgetting his appointments, or something that he is supposed to get or do, there is nothing better than to jot these down in his diary and his memory will be aided when the time comes for him to use it. A pocket diary is the most convenient to carry about everywhere.
A diary gives us an intimate glimpse of the writer, his feelings and the workings of his mind. A diary may even be a sort of historical record if the writer has noted down events of national importance. Such, for instance was the diary of Samuel Pepys, a writer who lived in the second half of the seventeenth century. His famous diary gives us a picture of contemporary events like the coronation of the king, the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London. It is of great interest and importance to students of English literature and history.
During the Second World War a diary kept by a little Jewish girl became famous. It is called "The Diary of Anne Frank," and was later published in the form of a book. It is a historical record of sufferings endured by the Jewish people who had to go into hiding on account of the persecution by Hitler and his Nazis. The cruelty with which they were treated in the concentration camps and the misery and pathos of their lives is aptly reflected in this diary. This diary is therefore an important document, showing us the inhumanity of the Germans and the deplorable lot of the Jews in Europe during the Second World War.
Apart from these extraordinary diaries, keeping an ordinary diary has its own advantages. A diary can be of great assistance to a busy man who has a number of engagements to keep every day. How can he remember at what time precisely he has given someone an appointment unless he refers to his diary? His diary is an indispensable companion and friend. Suppose someone seeks an appointment or interview with a great man. All his secretary has to do is to refer to his personal diary to find out on which day it will be convenient for him to grant an interview.
A diary is helpful in maintaining friendships and keeping up successful domestic relations. All important dates such as birthdays of friends or their wedding anniversaries can be noted down in a diary. This ensures our never neglecting our friends, for the diary will remind us that we have to send them greetings and good wishes on important occasions. A man should also make a note of the date of his wedding anniversary and the birthdays of his wife and children.
Then they will never have cause to complain that he is neglecting his family. This is how a diary can be a powerful aid to maintaining successful public and private relations.
