July 3
8th grade: Me, [cousins] stayed up all night.I smoked a cigarette for the 1st time. I hated it
We stayed up all night and paid the price the next day as we had to participate in a parade the next day. We joke about it today.
I do remember trying cigarettes again, same place, a few summers later. Fortunately I did not like them though menthol was better. I understand how they can be addictive. I’m too damn cheap to smoke now.
July 4
8th: The Parade. It was o.k. I got burnt
Neighborhood parade that was started by my uncles and his friends when we were kids and still goes on today. It is a nice tradition and the teenagers today roll their eyes at it. Patriotism, not politics, was a big part of my family. I’m proud to be an American; the good, bad and ugly.
So after not sleeping all night we went to the beach and slept. Yup, we got burnt- if memory serves me right I was sleeping on my side and got a burn on one side of my face. Someone nicely covered my body with a blanket.
I proudly slather myself with sunscreen now and check for moles. With age comes wisdom.
July 6
8th: I came home from the cape
When I was younger I would spend a couple of weeks there. I was just there this weekend and the memories I have there are wonderful. I feel blessed to have been able to spend time there and be surrounded by amazing people, some of whom I still see now. We try to pass on the love and fun to the next generation.
July 7
8th: We might buy a house
Such a stressful time for my mom to house hunt in an expensive area. We looked at a lot of places during this time.
July 8
8th: We didn’t get the house.
Bummer. I don’t recall what house it was. We ended up staying in our apartment for another year.
I wonder if it was boredom or something else that made me write every day at this time. Not a ton of information but it sparked memories for me.
Next passage is a doozy.
Introverted runner and other stuff 