Friday, February 13, 2009

Diary of a Young Woman

In my effort to paint, clean, organize, and discard things to get the house ready to go on the market in support of our Coastal Craziness, I found some true keepers!  I thought you may want to join me as I walk down memory lane a bit through diaries, annuals and mementos of my younger self.  

The earliest record of my thoughts began in 1978 when I was a cute 12 year old making many entries throughout writing in colored pens and fat cursive letters.  (For the sake of others and not to embarrass them, all names are being replaced with "boy" or "girl".)

The first entry began...

January 1, 1978

Dear Diary,

A boy did ask me.  He asked me Fri. Dec. 16, 1977.  Ya know, I think I'm in love with him but I am going to talk to Mom about it.  Tonight everyone said I could do the robot better than girl and girl got mad.

Dee

I giggled when I read it and even typing it out now puts a smile on my face.  I still remember boy and the intensity of the crush I had on him.  

It's interesting to pull some things out of the diary entry that reveal who I was then and how that compares with who I am now:

  • I love details:  why else would I feel compelled to record the date of when boy asked me
  • I love easily:  as we will see throughout my diary! lol
  • I'm a talker:  I reason things out with others who are important in my life and who I feel will give me sound reasoning.  (thanks, Momma!)
  • I dance:  the Robot was the craze then and has come and gone but I still love to throw on some happy music and groove to the beat! 
  • I'm competitive:  I love to be better, best, and bestest as shown even at a young age of 12.  yikes!
  • I liked my nickname:  The only ones who still call me Dee now are my family and friends I had from this time.  At some point in middle school or early high school I took a stance of independence and threw the nickname away and insisted on being called by my full first name. 
... I wonder if my relationship with boy lasted and if my friendship with girl survived the Robot?  ;)

2 comments:

Aimee said...

Good for you for keeping your old diaries. I put mine to the torch during a childish snit-fit, and have regretted it ever since. Lost about 25 spiral notebooks, full of adolescent poetry, giddiness and angst. Shame. Enjoy your walk through memory lane!
aimee

Karen said...

ah, yes, reading those entries must have taken you back....i didn't keep any journals from that time - but just a few weeks ago i read over some of my high school annual "signatures" with my youngest son. almost seems like i'm a completely different person now! (which is OK with me!!)