As much as I adore making fun of myself for writing absolutely inane things in junior high, there were some entries in my 8th grade journal that weren't that weren't too terribly far off the mark. I'm not feeling particularly funny or quick or witty today, so I'm taking a break from the usual heavily mocking entry style and am instead giving you my young view on love & boys. You can see my mildly mocking comments interspersed.
January 24, 1996 Boy-Girl Relationships
I think that the boy-girl relationships in our school are being overblown by some people. [If I recall correctly, there was some big hoopla in school at that time about how awful the guys were being. We might have even had class meetings about it or a chapel announcement or something along those lines. It was a big deal at the time.] I am quite satisfied at how I am being treated. Some girls may not feel the same way as I do, but I think that most do. I know plenty of guys who are nice. I have to admit, there is some exceptions. The popular group of guys are the ones who are being mean and degrating. I think that the "in" guys are nicer to the unpopular girls [I fell into the this crowd, although by no means did I really care because my friends were awesome! Shout out to Jules & Ems!] more than the popular girls because they have a respect for us that I don't see going towards the "in" girls. [Looking back on it, I would say that they just didn't care about us. Definitely don't think there was more respect going on.] I have no idea why this is, but I do know that all some girls want is respect. I know I don't talk to the (as some people call the popular guys) "herd" much, but when I do, they don't act mean and selfish like w/ the popular girls. [That actually was true. When I did get the courage to talk to the "herd", they weren't all that bad to me. A little full of themselves, but not unkind.]
May 1, 1996 Love
Some people say that there is love at first sight, but I don't believe so. Love is a gradual process that takes time. To have a good relationship with someone of the opposite sex, you have to be good friends first. If you jump headlong into dating or marriage, you won't know that person or their morals well. I also believe that you need to have your parents' permission before you date or marry a person [maybe back in 8th grade this was true]. If your parents don't approve of the guy, he's probably not the one for you [still true today]. Your parents need to be an active part in your relationships [um, no thanks]. For people who think that love at first sight happens, it is more like like at first sight. True love is not based on looks or brains. True love consists of knowing how they will react before they do. The heart and soul make up true love. [I can tell you with utter conviction that when I was writing those last two sentences, I wasn't paying attention to what I was writing. That style of sentence is highly indicative of me writing without thinking. I've been known to type entire papers in college like that... however, my quality of thoughtless writing had vastly improved by then.]
Showing posts with label Words from Yesteryear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Words from Yesteryear. Show all posts
Monday, April 21, 2008
Saturday, February 9, 2008
And I Developed My Morality Just Last Year...
I promised you more words from my 8th grade English journal and would hate to renege on our deal. I wouldn't want to be called a liar after all...
Feb 7, 1996 Lying
I used to lie all the time when I was younger. "Did you brush your teeth?" "Of course", I'd answer (when in reality I hadn't done it for a week). "Did you make your bed? Get started on your animal report? [I never actually did that report in 5th grade. When my teacher asked me where it was, I told him I had turned it in already. Since I was a well-behaved kid for the most part, he thought he had just lost it and gave me FULL CREDIT! Damn, I was good!] Clean the living room?" "Yes," I would answer, "I always do." I lied for the simple reason of wanting to get outside and play with my friends. [If I remember correctly, playing outside wasn't really the incentive. I liked to read more. So basically I just lied in my essay on lying. Huh.] I got so used to lying that they just slipped out like butter. Then when my parents found out that I was lying, they'd give me a good scolding or even a spanking. [They never did find out about that animal report. Oops. Am I going to get a spanking now?] Eventually I stopped lying, when I realized it was wrong. I am so against it now, that if I lie to someone, I feel guilty for a week [A week. Not 6 days. Not 8 days. A week.] and have to go say that I was sorry for lying to them. When you are little, you don't have much of a conscience or at least I didn't. Fortunately, I developed one around age ten. [WHAT? I had no conscience before then? No way of determining right from wrong? I guess I must have been a wild child who killed gerbils for fun and set buildings ablaze "just to see what would happen".]
Feb 7, 1996 Lying
I used to lie all the time when I was younger. "Did you brush your teeth?" "Of course", I'd answer (when in reality I hadn't done it for a week). "Did you make your bed? Get started on your animal report? [I never actually did that report in 5th grade. When my teacher asked me where it was, I told him I had turned it in already. Since I was a well-behaved kid for the most part, he thought he had just lost it and gave me FULL CREDIT! Damn, I was good!] Clean the living room?" "Yes," I would answer, "I always do." I lied for the simple reason of wanting to get outside and play with my friends. [If I remember correctly, playing outside wasn't really the incentive. I liked to read more. So basically I just lied in my essay on lying. Huh.] I got so used to lying that they just slipped out like butter. Then when my parents found out that I was lying, they'd give me a good scolding or even a spanking. [They never did find out about that animal report. Oops. Am I going to get a spanking now?] Eventually I stopped lying, when I realized it was wrong. I am so against it now, that if I lie to someone, I feel guilty for a week [A week. Not 6 days. Not 8 days. A week.] and have to go say that I was sorry for lying to them. When you are little, you don't have much of a conscience or at least I didn't. Fortunately, I developed one around age ten. [WHAT? I had no conscience before then? No way of determining right from wrong? I guess I must have been a wild child who killed gerbils for fun and set buildings ablaze "just to see what would happen".]
Monday, January 21, 2008
Please Tell Me This Isn't My Journal
I recently discovered a notebook filled with freewrites I had to do for my 8th grade English class. Sometimes we would be given a topic and sometimes we got to just write about whatever we wanted. I started reading them, immediately cringed at my words, and decided that these glimpses into the psyche of the junior high me were too good to keep to myself. Below you will find two of them along with comments from the 25-year old me. You can look forward to more of these entries in the future.
Sept. 13, 1995 Phases
I have had many phases in my life. For example, I have collected everything from beads to buttons, to stickers. I sort of fell away from sticker collecting, but at a peak time, (my sister and I collected together) we had over 1,100 stickers. (We really were going for that 1000 sticker mark and were SUPER excited when we got there). Right now I am on my business card collection. (Are you joking me? At 13 I collected business cards? That is seriously uncool. I thought my dork days ended in 7th grade, but I was sooooo wrong.) Whenever I go to the fair or to a store, I pick up their business cards. I started this a few years ago, when I lived in Michigan. I stopped collecting them when my mom threatened to put them in recycle. My dad let me keep them, though. (Dad let me keep them? Normally he's all for getting rid of stuff. Was I really that attached to them that he felt like he had to intercede for my mental health?) I put them away in my desk safe, (I had a flippin' sweet desk with a safe in it) and didn't find them again until we moved into my new house in May. Since then, I have collected over 100 new business cards. (From May to September I got 100 business cards? Either I was going to a lot of fairs or I got real friendly with the Safeway checkers) I've had many phases, but business card collecting is my newest one.
Sept 22, 1995 Momentos
I have many momentos of places I've been or other people have been. For instance, when my dad went to New Orleans for the first time, he brought me back a thermometer in a glass container filled with water and seashells floating in the water. (I had it on my desk until I moved away to college). The second time he went, he brought back a tshirt of the New Orleans jazz band. (I still have that shirt and wear it to bed. It's so worn that you can barely see any of the printing on it) In other places he's been, he's brought back different things. When I go places, I collect everything from business cards (there they are again) to bags to small items such as keychains or pencils. This helps me remember places I've been in a cheap, inexpensive way. (More from "Remembering On A Dime" after a word from our sponsors...) In order to give them up, someone would probably have to pay a big sum. A lot of my collection brings back good memories. I wouldn't give it up for less than $100. (Apparently I can be bought-- and for really not all that much)
Sept. 13, 1995 Phases
I have had many phases in my life. For example, I have collected everything from beads to buttons, to stickers. I sort of fell away from sticker collecting, but at a peak time, (my sister and I collected together) we had over 1,100 stickers. (We really were going for that 1000 sticker mark and were SUPER excited when we got there). Right now I am on my business card collection. (Are you joking me? At 13 I collected business cards? That is seriously uncool. I thought my dork days ended in 7th grade, but I was sooooo wrong.) Whenever I go to the fair or to a store, I pick up their business cards. I started this a few years ago, when I lived in Michigan. I stopped collecting them when my mom threatened to put them in recycle. My dad let me keep them, though. (Dad let me keep them? Normally he's all for getting rid of stuff. Was I really that attached to them that he felt like he had to intercede for my mental health?) I put them away in my desk safe, (I had a flippin' sweet desk with a safe in it) and didn't find them again until we moved into my new house in May. Since then, I have collected over 100 new business cards. (From May to September I got 100 business cards? Either I was going to a lot of fairs or I got real friendly with the Safeway checkers) I've had many phases, but business card collecting is my newest one.
Sept 22, 1995 Momentos
I have many momentos of places I've been or other people have been. For instance, when my dad went to New Orleans for the first time, he brought me back a thermometer in a glass container filled with water and seashells floating in the water. (I had it on my desk until I moved away to college). The second time he went, he brought back a tshirt of the New Orleans jazz band. (I still have that shirt and wear it to bed. It's so worn that you can barely see any of the printing on it) In other places he's been, he's brought back different things. When I go places, I collect everything from business cards (there they are again) to bags to small items such as keychains or pencils. This helps me remember places I've been in a cheap, inexpensive way. (More from "Remembering On A Dime" after a word from our sponsors...) In order to give them up, someone would probably have to pay a big sum. A lot of my collection brings back good memories. I wouldn't give it up for less than $100. (Apparently I can be bought-- and for really not all that much)
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