Last night at dinner I decided to do a dramatic reading from my junior high journal. I can't remember what prompted it, but I left the table and retrieved it from my desk drawer. It's been in there for the past few months, ever since I found it while going through a box of stuff in the basement. I started reading, thinking it would be kind of funny, but it fell a little flat.
I don't remember being an overly dramatic child, but most pages were sprayed with my melodrama. There was a lot of hatred directed toward my mom, which I feel terrible about. There was a lot of complaint about having to clean my room, which was always a disaster. There was an over-arching theme of my plight as the put-upon middle child, the one who nobody understood and yet expected to be perfect.
"Where are the happy parts?" Christian asked.
That's the problem. I didn't write those down. Oops.
I got out the journal in hopes of connecting with Christian, as evidence that I actually was his age once and might have a clue about the thoughts running through his head. And after reading through a few entries together, he and I certainly gained a new understanding of one another. I understand now that he's not nearly as difficult and moody as I'd been thinking, and he now understands that I'm completely nuts.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
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8 comments:
I stand by my statement to Christian a year or so ago - the only thing worse than a teenage boy is a teenage girl. And sadly, I have to confess I have a cringe-worthy junior high overly dramatic diary as well. It is mortifying.
My journal is pretty uninteresting. Ages 8-11: comments on the weather and school. Ages 12- present: lists of self-improvement plans that I never actually get around to and boys I have crushes on. I conclude that I was/am a very boring child. I think I have all of two entries that display any angst or hatred.
The sooner our kids find out were nuts the better. Gives them a sense of fear and embarrassment. Just what a kid needs.
Whoa, that was brave.
and that, dear folks, is why I don't keep a journal! ;)
I tried that with Nicole when she was in middle school. I too wanted her to know that I could relate to all the drama that was her life at that time. After reading her several heartfelt entries where I drooled over this boy or that, she said, "Geez mom, all you thought about were boys. You needed a life." It didn't go over as I had hoped. To this day, she still teases me about it. Now I know why my mom burned hers. :)
As a young 20-something person. I threw my middle school journal away. It was full of boy-longing. Hormone fueled rants. It was mighty embarassing.
I love this!!! I am pretty positive I tossed any journals I might have had from that time. Probably better for all involved.
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