I kept a diary in elementary school, but it got lost long ago. It's a shame, because I'd love to read my little kid thoughts and feelings on things at the time.

When I was 16, I was gifted with a journal for Christmas, and even though I didn't write in it every day, I did eventually fill out every single page on it. It took me 15 years to do it. So, there are 15 years of memories in that book, and I've saved and protected it. I like looking back on it every now and then.

I kept a blog just for family and friends to keep up with what I was doing when I lived out of state. I wrote on almost daily for nearly six years. I've got it all on CD now, to one day print out when I have a ton of paper and several ink cartridges.

These days, I mostly get my feelings out and organized in long, rambling texts to good friends whom I trust, and who send me the same kind of texts. You can't really save those forever, though.