I decided very early on that I wanted to be a writer. Elementary school, in fact. I always wanted to be a novelist (and this year, I will be!) but around fifth grade, I decided that might be too difficult to break into the industry and be a bestseller, so instead I would “just” be a journalist.
So over the years, I have written – a LOT. In fact, I kept diaries, and as my family will tell you, I always had my pen out, scribbling away.
Good thing, years later. I have a very detailed history of my teenage years. Very detailed. Some of it brings pleasant memories flooding back to warm my heart, and some of it hurts me all over again to read and remember.
I always thought I had a stellar memory and that I could tell you every detail of my high school days, but reading them this week has made me realize that even I am have forgotton a lot. So grateful to have written it all down back then! Really hope Mom and Dad didn’t sneak and read them at the time …
I had lunch with Amy yesterday and these diaries kept us laughing the whole time. I kept telling her, “According to my diary … ” or “According to me 15 years ago … ”
And of course Kyle is very interested in the things I had to say about him back then … and boy, did I have a lot to say! I’ve promised to share some of these tidbits with him (haven’t promised them all yet!) so that we can reminisce.
I halfway kept a diary in college but it was nowhere near the volumes and volumes of writing I did in high school. At times over the years I have come across these notebooks and wondered if I should keep them. Reading them now, I am so glad I have! What a window into the teenaged version of me and my friends.
Among a few gems from the diaries:
* After describing a weekend at the beach among other times hanging out with Amy: “Me and Amy have spent 24 hours a day together since last Friday! And we’re not even sick of each other!”
* After consulting Susan for relationship advice: “Susan’s intuition has never been wrong in the two years that I’ve asked her for advice.” [Update: Make that 16 years now!]
* Here’s one for you, Kyle: “In some ways Kyle’s the rain … He tapped lightly on my window until I let him inside, then he poured down on me, got me soaking wet with pain and tears..” [Update: To use my 16-year-old lingo: After rain there is a rainbow.]
* About Jenny: “During the school year we borrowed each other’s clothes so much we sometimes forgot who’s was who’s [sic]. I remember thinking once how awful it would be if one of us were to move and we would have a hard time sorting out all our clothes.”
* And just a typical evening out, “Jenny, Erin and I went to Erica’s for a party. It was fun. Later on we went up to Clubs-n-Cues and I saw John!!! The rest of the night I stayed with him. We dropped Erin off at home for curfew and it was me and John and Robby in John’s car and Jenny and Shawn in Jenny’s car. We were in Rock Hill for a while and then went back to Erica’s.”
Perhaps I will share more later … Must keep some private to protect others’ secrets as well as my own!