It’ll be a while, hopefully I can get to part time work at some point. I want to have free time to work around the house, volunteer and travel. I’m lucky to at least work hybrid so I’m home to do house stuff before and after work (even sneaking in a few minutes for laundry or pulling weeds.
I hope to reduce hours when I’m still active and healthy and can do projects. I also look forward to spending more time with family and friends.
8th grade: Last day of school. I’m gonna miss [middle school]
I guess we got out before I could learn “going to”. That really warms my heart that I felt this way. Someone told me that we sometimes dwell on the anticipation of things rather than the reality of it. I think I recall the bad days and forget that good was there.
June 21
8th: I got my braces off. My teeth look good.
Oh what a beautiful feeling. My teeth were silky. I only had braces for about 9 months but I despised them, my gums and cheeks were always getting cut. I was a smiling goddess after
June 23
8th: [sister] left for Colombia, I’m gonna miss her
Yeah, she went to South America for her foreign exchange program. She loved it. Such a sweet sentiment and it brings tears to my eyes now.
June 24
8th: I moved into [sister’s] room.
Ah, that’s a true little sister moment. She’s gone and I will take her stuff. I think she had an a/c unit in her room so that made sense. It just looked funny next to the previous day’s entry.
June 26
7th grade: I got my first period at 6:00 pm.
Ah, womanhood! A big milestone in a girl’s life. I hated it. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to ride my bike anymore (those pads were clunky). I thought that I would just always have it; I knew that it came each month but I figured my life was changing. It can be tough because you are no longer a kid in a sense. No fanfare, my mom just went to the store to get supplies since my she and my sister wore tampons. I’m glad that I wrote about it though. As I write this today it is my anniversary.
June 29
8th grade: I went down the cape, I saw St Elmo’s Fire it was great.
A bit young for that movie but we would buy tickets for another movie then go into the R-rated movie and ask a young couple if they would say we are with them if asked. Rarely ever questioned, it was a different time.
Oh how I wanted to be in that group, just not Demi Moore’s character. I was naive enough to think that is what life is like after college. Rob Lowe was the perfect bad boy. Such a great movie and reminds me that I need to see the documentary about the brat pack.
June 30
8th grade: I really like [family friend] he reminds me of [old neighbor]
Okay, this one was weird and embarrassing. Yet sweet. The friend was about 10 or so years older. I think that there is something about young teen girls liking men in their 20s (see prior day). I mean we drooled over Duran Duran and George Michael. I think that there is a maturity that they had and they appeared to have their stuff together. Once I got into my 20s I knew the difference.
Halfway done with the year. I continue to say how wonderful and cathartic this is to go through and comment on my little life. Even the cringe-worthy crushes.
I was listening to Matthew Perry narrate his book and he mentioned that he almost called it “Unaccompanied Minor” because he would fly solo as a kid between parents.
I too flew solo a couple of times as a child, though for different reasons. My family lived in a different state from extended family. We would often drive out to see them in the summer. One year our parents bought us kids one way tickets and we stayed longer and flew home as unaccompanied minors. At that time non-passengers could go to the gate so my aunts and cousins waited with until we boarded the plane. That year we had to change planes in order to get home where our parents were waiting at the gate upon arrival.
The following year my older siblings had other plans and I was the only one who stayed longer. I flew home by myself. I was 10. 10! I looked much younger than 10 too. I was seated between two adults who ended up chatting to each other. The man in the window seat changed with me so I could look out the window and he could chat with the woman. In my mind they formed a romance and are still together today, thanks to me!
The next year my family didn’t drive out but I still wanted to go so my parents sent me on my way. There were 2 others girls around my age traveling alone, why they didn’t sit us together is beyond me. I recall having a tag on me that said “Unaccompanied Minor” but I could be making that up. I do recall wearing my hot pink ruffle miniskirt with my pink polka dot shirt. Oh I was the shit. We got to our destination and a flight attendant walked the 3 of us to the gate. The other 2 girls had family waiting for them, I did not. If you didn’t figure out from the non-passengers at the gate and my hot pink outfit, this was before cell phones. My aunt was paged throughout the airport, I was afraid that the airline would leave me there. Eventually I see my cousins running towards me; my aunt hit traffic and was late. All good.
My flight home from that trip I was accompanied by my aunts and grandfather, but that’s a story for another day.
A few years later, when I was 15, I visited my sister in college. I took the plane then hopped on the bus to where her college was. Apparently I was too old to be an unaccompanied minor though I probably looked 12. There was a snafu with the bus and I was at one station and my sister was at another. I called her dorm and let her roommate know. About an hour later my sister was there. One of the bus rides I had a creepy guy offer me carrots, I think that I startled him since I was in front of him but so short that I couldn’t be seen from behind.
My family jokes about me traveling by myself at such a young age. There is something that children who traveled as unaccompanied minors experienced that is unique. We were independent, we were trustworthy, we got to do adult things. It makes for funny stories to talk about hopping on a plane as a little 10 year-old. Especially today with so much parental control. We made it out okay I guess.
Thank you to Matthew Perry for this wonderful memory. RIP
If you were forced to wear one outfit over and over again, what would it be?
So I’m going comfortable.
A few years ago I was in a local play, playing a female carpenter. I went to the thrift store and found a pair of men’s cargo pants. I was shocked they fit as I am a short female. I paired them with a t-shirt I had and a boy’s zip-up hoodie (one of the benefits of being short in fitting into kids’ sweat. Not glamorous, at all.
I loved the pants, there were so many pockets and they were so comfortable. They did have an odd fit but I loved wearing that costume, especially because I had to sit backstage for a while before I went on.
I was told before to buy or borrow clothes for a play and never plan on wearing them again because you will be so sick of wearing them after the shows. That rang true as I sadly donated the clothes but every so often I think of those comfy pants with all the pockets. (I just commented on someone else’s comment about a dress with pockets. Women want pockets)
I love to dress pretty and feminine but sometimes I just want to be comfy and not care how I look.
I have been lucky to have visited a few countries but on my bucket list is Italy. I have heard how beautiful it is and the food is amazing. I love that everyone walks everywhere, and comfy shoes are mandatory on the old cobblestones.
I hope to get there in the next few years, I seem to miss the opportunities that come up so I may need to make my own plans but I will get there one day.
After that I would like to visit a Scandinavian country, this is an area where I have not been and I hear wonderful things about it.
8th Grade: Tonight was the 8th grade dance it was a blast. Everyone look nice
Oh, I’m glad that I enjoyed it. I didn’t have a lot of friends but I loved a dance I guess. I wore a dress of my cousin’s, it was very plain. My mom dropped me off and I think she was glad that I went. I often think of those times as tough but maybe they were good some days.
June 15
We had a going away – surprise party for [sister]! She was surprised
My family was big into surprise parties. My sister was doing an exchange program for the summer and my family had a big party with questionably-appropriate cultural items from the country she was visiting. (More to come on that).
I could talk endlessly about running. Races I have done, goals I have, gels, shoes, whatever. I’m comfortable talking about running and love when I meet people who run.
I have had people tell me that they are training for a 5k and say that it’s not much. I enthusiastically listen to them, ask questions and encourage. I explain that it’s a cult and I welcome anyone who will join. I’m sure this is true of other sports, hobbies, whatever.
Because I have years of running and many races under my belt I feel confident talking about running. I’m no expert nor am I capable of coaching but I know what I need to do to succeed and stay healthy.
I have spent hours talking to people about their races and I am interested in what got them started. Similarly, I feel like there are a lot of things to talk about when running with someone. If it can’t get resolved in a 2 hour run it ain’t getting resolved.
Do you remember your favorite book from childhood?
And it was.
I got Richard Scarry’s Best Storybook Ever for my birthday one year. I loved being read to and eventually reading it on my own. My favorite story was the one about a little bear who is on his father’s shoulders and the dad can’t find him. It took me longer than I care to admit to realize that the dad knew when the child was.
The stories were cute and taught me new words and categories of things. I still picture the calendar part at the end, showing pictures of the months.
I have given this book as a gift and currently sitting on my table to give at a baby shower. I got so nostalgic looking at it; they haven’t changed a thing, the little bear is still on the dad’s shoulders. I look forward to reading it to my new niece, hoping that she will get the same enjoyment.
I used to volunteer as a reader to a little child at her school. Once a week I would read to her. We read together for 4 years, 1-4th grades. It was an amazing experience and it is said that so much is gained from reading to a child, even up to 4th grade. Looking at this book I know this to be true.
I still have this book somewhere, it looks exactly the same except that it is pink and a bit worn.
5th grade me is back and she’s got not much to say.
May 30th
We went to a party at [friend’s]. It was really fun. A-
If it is the people that I am thinking of it was fun. They lived on a big farm and there was a lot to do. We would walk everywhere and play in the field. I don’t think the family had kids my age but they had friends who did. That was when I would just make friends because there were kids my age. Not bad for an introvert
May 31st
We didn’t have any school today because of Memorial Day. I’m getting stuff ready for the toy sale. A-
Yes, I would have a toy sale each year. My mom often had garage sales and I would put toys out and get some scratch. On years that she didn’t have a garage sale I had a toy sale. I had makeshift signs. I don’t know if I sold much- my sweet neighbor bought stuff. It’s weird to think that I would do this without my parents being home. That’s some Gen X/ latchkey kid stuff right there. Though I was a weird kid even for my generation. I do wish I had that entrepreneurial spirit now. I try to sell stuff online and it’s a bust.
Well that concludes May. Also that concludes 5th grade. The toy sale tuckered me out and I didn’t write again until I started 6th grade. 5th grade was a tough year so I’m giving little me a pass.
While I don’t go to church and I don’t really affiliate with an organized religion I do have faith and beliefs. I pray and am thankful for what I have.
I’m intrigued by religion. I grew up Catholic and live in a predominantly Catholic area. I like learning about different religions and I’m fascinated by the people who are active in their religion, not just the church. I never experienced that with my religion. I’m not searching for it either, it just seems interesting to me. Another way of living.
I also love visiting churches when I travel. They are beautiful with so much history. I also love listening to choirs and will pop in a Christmas choir cd (yes a cd), it’s beautiful.
I do miss the idea of going to church with my family, especially my cousins. I think that being dragged to church each Sunday (that was what it felt like to my teenage self) was a positive experience. It wasn’t necessarily the church part but that whatever I was doing I had to go to church. Our family would be together. It was a ritual. I learned to sacrifice my time.
One thing I do practice is Lent. I feel good about giving up something or adding a task for the greater good. I also still feel guilty having meat on Friday during Lent.
I’m happy with my choices now and I think that I am a good human and that’s what counts.
Introverted runner and other stuff 