I’ve been going through drawers and closets -- sorting, tossing, donating . . . purging unnecessary possessions. It’s a good feeling; getting rid of clutter. But oh my goodness, the things one can find on such a mission.
For example, yesterday I discovered a long-forgotten diary of mine from 1972-1973. I was around 12 years old at the time. Forty years. That’s how long it has been since I had opened this book. There wasn’t a lot written in it. (The serious journaling bug didn’t bite until I was in my 20s, I guess.) So it didn’t take me long to sit down and read through it all. Each entry brought back a memory that I hadn’t thought of in four decades. In that brief sojourn yesterday, seeing myself through my 12-year-old eyes, I became reacquainted with a part of my adolescence. Insightful, to say the least.
This was one of my favorite lines in the diary: “July 10, 1972. Dear Diary, I didn’t do much but I had a good time.”
Yes, that is so utterly me. My best days are the days that are quiet and unstructured, simple and carefree, spontaneous and open to anything. Or nothing. In that respect, I haven’t changed much over the years.
But this is what I looked like at that age. Both shots were taken at one of my all-time favorite places, Swallow Falls State Park, Maryland. Throughout my childhood, we camped there so often, I feel like it was my second home. I grew up there.
How about you? What have you held onto through the years that can take you back and remind you of that bud of a person who bloomed into who you are today?
Oh, and by the way, I’m having a garage sale in a few weeks.
For example, yesterday I discovered a long-forgotten diary of mine from 1972-1973. I was around 12 years old at the time. Forty years. That’s how long it has been since I had opened this book. There wasn’t a lot written in it. (The serious journaling bug didn’t bite until I was in my 20s, I guess.) So it didn’t take me long to sit down and read through it all. Each entry brought back a memory that I hadn’t thought of in four decades. In that brief sojourn yesterday, seeing myself through my 12-year-old eyes, I became reacquainted with a part of my adolescence. Insightful, to say the least.
This was one of my favorite lines in the diary: “July 10, 1972. Dear Diary, I didn’t do much but I had a good time.”
Yes, that is so utterly me. My best days are the days that are quiet and unstructured, simple and carefree, spontaneous and open to anything. Or nothing. In that respect, I haven’t changed much over the years.
But this is what I looked like at that age. Both shots were taken at one of my all-time favorite places, Swallow Falls State Park, Maryland. Throughout my childhood, we camped there so often, I feel like it was my second home. I grew up there.
How about you? What have you held onto through the years that can take you back and remind you of that bud of a person who bloomed into who you are today?
Oh, and by the way, I’m having a garage sale in a few weeks.
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4 comments:
OK, I love this, because the writing is so beautiful and because you are so self-aware. This paragraph is totally you: "My best days are the days that are quiet and unstructured, simple and carefree, spontaneous and open to anything. Or nothing. In that respect, I haven’t changed much over the years." Wish I could help with the garage sale... we've got a box set to go to Goodwill ourselves!
I agree with Melanie--what she said! Great pics too. Thanks for sharing your journey.
Hey, was I mentioned in that diary...born in 73, mom would have been pregnant during that time...did you want me sent back?
Yes, Lis. On February 23, I wrote, "Dear Diary, I still like Jimmy K., but he is mad at me. Daddy went to the hospital today. They didn't come back until 11:00 p.m. I went over to Marcie's. If I haven't told you yet, my mother is pregnant." And that's all I wrote about you. I didn't continue the diary through July 1973, or I might have written something about you being born.
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