While vacationing in the beautiful northern woods of Michigan I read an article in USA Today about good old fashioned journal/diary writing.
Click below to view article:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2010-07-29-journal29_CV_N.htm
And so the memories of my 'Dear Diary' days came flooding in and I searched for and found a few of my old diaries.
I have a handwritten account of my life from 1982-1990. It is not a daily account, far from it. But it provides a glimpse of my younger self.
Here are a few goodies from my 10-12 year-old self:
I thought listening to Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye was risky and delightful.
For some reason I was amazed by the movie Coal Miner's Daughter.
My record high for Atari's Pitfall was 64,000.
I got a lot of perms.
I had an obsession with super balls.
I desperately wanted to "go" with someone.
I carried a maxi pad in my Le Sports Sac purse.
I must have had hundreds of sleepovers.
Bubble exclamation marks littered my 'Dear Diary' pages.
Purchasing Bonjour jeans was worthy of it's very own entry.
I loved Oddball sweatshirts.
A few things from my tween and teen years:
Every boy was a 'massive babe'.
I used at least one of the following words in every entry:
"Oh shure", "syke", "bogue", and "style" (sarcastic way of saying I didn't like something)
My braces - the tightening, the wires, the wax for the wires that would shred the inside of my mouth
There were many boys I liked that were 'too popular' for me.
Button fly jeans were cool.
The majority of my teen journaling cannot even be mentioned and will stay hidden behind little gold lock and key. I had a nasty mouth and was self-centered and obnoxious! I don't remember being so annoying. How did my family stand me?
My tunnel vision teenager life revolved around boys, boys, boys and my friends.
I like him, I love him, I want to go with him, I hate him.
She's my friend, she's not my friend, she's my friend again.
It was exhausting just reading it all. It's no wonder teenagers are always tired.
I have a year and a half until Lovey turns 13. Maybe revisiting my teen years will provide hope that there will be a normal, loving young adult who walks out the other side of all of that drama.
I am so not ready for this.
I can honestly say there is nothing that can prepare you for you child becoming a teenager!
ReplyDeleteMy oldest is 14 (15 this year) and I swear it scares the hell out of me! I remember being that age, I remember high school (it seems like that was such a short time ago too), and worst of all I remember the things I did at that age! I don't want her to do ANY of the things I did.
And while I'm excited that she has a date for homecoming and possibly prom already (yea... she's a freshman) that too scares me!
What to do... what to do....
Oh man, being a teenage girl is so hard, but I imagine its harder to be the mother of a teenage girl. I was a big sister and found that hard enough. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteamber :)
Thanks for sharing the link! That was a wonderful read. :) I've been writing in diaries and journaling since I was in gradeschool. I used to keep my diaries and re-read them once in awhile. We do get so emotional and selfish about petty things when we're young.
ReplyDeleteBut about two years ago, I burned all my diaries and old letters. I guess I felt they have served their purpose and I don't really need to go back and read them again. It actually felt liberating. The only journals I'm keeping now are my gratitude journals so I could keep the positive vibes. :)
Maybe you could teach your kids how to journal too, it could help as a coping mechanism for the emotionally turbulent years ahead.
13... That sounds horrific.
ReplyDeleteI had a few diaries stashed away from my younger teenage years. My thoughts after reading them? Even more horrific than the thought of my daughter turning 13.
I hear you on the annoying tendancies. And although I always love and appreciate my mother, I realize she should be up on a damn pedestal for putting up with all of my garbage.
The fate of the diaries? Garbaged like all of the nonsense in them. They weren't cute memories that I enjoy looking back on, and GOD FORBID one of my children ever find them, and think that this kind of behavior would be tolerated.
They had their purpose, as an outlet for my frustration, but their time is over. I'm happy to say good ridence to my 13th year thoughts.
xo and good luck coping as a parent through the trials and tribulations surely to come. Wishing you patience, strength and an amazing amount of tolerence.
Aww! I remember writing things like that in my diaries! I can't imagine being a mommy to a girl like me! Shew! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog! I am now your newest follower :)
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Sounds just like my old diary! Good stuff! I am also praying that my little MVP grows up to be one of those girls that doesn't get the mean streak...I was a brat from 6th grade on!
ReplyDeleteI love other single mom blogs, too! Thanks for finding me...even if you did find me in the middle of an emotional meltdown :).
ReplyDeleteAh...the journals! I have a whole hopechest full of them and yes, I believe teenagers have such great metabolisms because managing all that drama must be an incredible calorie burner :)
Thanks for brining back some memories!
Oh my goodness, this was hilarious, basically because it sounded like you were quoting me from my diary all those years ago - boys, boys, boys and friends. Man we were obsessed with that.
ReplyDeleteIt's so neat that you found those to help prepare for the teen years. While I'm sure there's some truth to the fact that nothing fully prepares you, I'm sure this will help you find some level of connection from time to time with your kids. Maybe even sharing part of the journal or at least stories?
I'm scared of how the teen years will be in this day and age of cell phones, texting, social media and basically the ability to have rumors shared about you to the masses in a nanosecond. That's a teen girl's worst nightmare. I can't even imagine how to prepare her to compete short of spending all these years building up to those days teaching her to believe in herself and have strong self esteem.
My diary too! Except I called boys "GBs or Gorgeous Babes". HAHAHA! Remember how superballs smelled? That putrid rubber/plastic combination?!? Loved your post! Best of luck on mommying your soon-to-be teen! I'll need all the help I can get in 2 1/2 years.
ReplyDeleteIt is so funny that you wrote this post!
ReplyDeleteMy parents just called me today telling me that they found a box of my things in their attic, and in it was my dairy! I rushed over (they live nearby) and picked up my lovely memories. The first thing I did was read my diary and I was working on a post about it earlier. It will go up this week.
It is so funny to read the things that were so important to me as a young teenager. The last entry was in 1993 and involved my husband, but for some reason, I did not finish writing the entry. It left off mid-sentence!
All of my diaries are in my mother's attic.
ReplyDeleteI alternate between wanting to read through them, page by page, and hoping that they magically disappear.
Disappearing would be the less humiliating option--I was so ridiculously dramatic.
I am also so nervous about raising a teenager!! I'm not anywhere close yet - my first daughter was just born in January - but still, the idea is enough to make me nervous even now!! I totally remember "going" with people. I remember hating it now when my parents would be like, "where are you going??" Too funny!
ReplyDeleteI'm a new follower from 31DBBB!
Oh, to be a teen again! I think it's so great that you were willing to share all that you did! We all could be served to look back at our younger selves and just laugh, laugh, laugh!
ReplyDeleteOh, man - I don't even want to think about when my daughter hits that age. I taught middle school for 2 years and I am now terrified!
ReplyDeleteI used to journal and then got away from it...need to get back though.
Oh, gosh, I have so many old journals! Crushes and diets and determination toward self-improvement are their usual theme.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.motherknowsless.com/2010/08/versatile-blogger-award-three-people-i.html
ReplyDeletegift for you see above
I was waaaaaay into writing in my diary! Maybe girls that loved diaries now love blogs? This post took me back! Cute!
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