(before I get into this, please note that the Crime Stoppers Club event tomorrow changed venues to UCB East)
When I was 16, I took a stack of old diaries from age 10-15 and threw them into a trash can fire. My intention was to destroy any material that could potentially be a source of great embarrassment in the future. I had no way of knowing that in my 20′s I would build a career largely founded on self-humiliation. One of those diaries survived my little bonfire and while I’ve flipped through it a few times over the years (once even posting a few excerpts on a now defunct blog) I only recently sat down to read it in its entirety. To be honest, I was hoping to find evidence that, at age 12, I was precocious and wise, superior to my Tiger Beat reading peers and destined for great creative achievement and accolades. Instead, I found tedious ramblings of a bored, JTT-loving, ballet dancing, Jesus loving NERD. I know, woof. I mean, really, read this opening page:
oh man, do I know how to set up an entertaining premise or what. This is the kind of diary entry you’d get if you put a gun to a kid’s head and said “just start writing, write anything.” The part I crossed out said “this may sound silly but I hope future archeologists find my diary and turn it into a book. Maybe it will tell them more about the 19th 20th century.” I later I retract that wish, actually pleading with my diary to not open itself should it be found. haha what? Anyways, over the week I’m going to post a few excerpts for your amusement/my embarrassment. Trust me, it gets a little better than that first page.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
“Egad, Professor! The longstanding debate on how the numbers used by the primitive denizens of the 20th century correlated to calendar dates has now been solved! Our presentation at the University of Jupiter Archaeology Conference next year will be smash hit!”
Did the same thing with my journal once upon a time. Trashed it. Trashed another one that dealt with my ex-wife (burned that one); I tend to really cut things off when I want them cut off.
I look forward to the rest of your postings, Julia!
3/6/95. The original Fart Party?
Hey, including notes for archaeologists reading your diary *is* precocious and wise for a 12-year-old.
It also shows how considerate and thoughtful you are. 
“…so we just sat there farting and singing…”
hahahahahaha
LOL hilarious! I love the explanation of “2-10-95″ and “farting & singing”!!
I’m sad that you burned a bunch of diaries! I’ve been posting my old diary entries for the past few years and it would have been fun to see someone else’s! I think we’re about the same age too… but while you were crushing on JTT, I was swooning over Rider Strong (Shawn from Boy Meets World). Here’s what I was writing about around the same time as your entries (3-21-95)… http://tehcheesestandsalone.blogspot.com/2009/02/1st-day-of-spring.html
And here’s a few of my fav’s…
- One of my first diary entries from when I was 6 years old… http://tehcheesestandsalone.blogspot.com/2009/02/early-angst.html
- This one is about what I was looking for in a boy in 5th grade… http://tehcheesestandsalone.blogspot.com/2009/02/what-im-looking-for-in-boy.html
- And this one includes an actual “Will you go out with me? Circle YES/NO” note… http://tehcheesestandsalone.blogspot.com/2009/04/im-bummed-including-awesome-middle.html
I can’t wait to read more from your diary!!
Hey, that first entry was on my birthday. But you didn’t get me ANYTHING.
Kids.
That is hilarious. I remember when I was 7 or 8 or so I told my parents I wanted to get my ears pierced when I was 12. And then they wouldn’t let me change my mind. I never had the fortitude to keep a real journal though. There are only a handful of entries scattered over the years in my one journal.
oh go this reminds me of a paper I had to write for class last semester. my professor made us go through old journals and diaries to find our writing styles and wear we found our “voice.” so embarrassing!
Same i had loads and loads of diaries and my two brothers and nine sisters read all of them and wrote them all on facebook and twitter. I got so embaressed that whenever i either look out of the window or even just take one step out of my front door or back door everyone laughs at me. Iget red of embarresment i faint. I HATE MY LIFE !!!
dv terthn