Flashback Friday

So, I got to thinking about all those old journals.  The bound book journals dating all the way back to 1979.  In the event of a fire, all of them would be lost.  While I was not a dedicated writer (in the earliest books, more than a year could go by between entries), there are thoughts and experiences in them that I have completely forgotten.  That is the power of writing, of course.  You can capture the moment and relive it years later, often with a chuckle.

So, I got to thinking, it might be fun to 'flash back' to some of those earlier versions of... well.. me!

And so, here is the birth of "Flashback Friday".  I'll try to find an old journal entry from roughly the same date, but from a different year.  I'll keep the original spellings, grammar, and punctuation.  I may even have some commentary, too.

Here goes!

*****

Nov. 26, 1988


     Thanksgiving was 2 days ago.  We had invited Aunt Avis & John to join us for the day & they graciously accepted.  They were to arrive at 1:00 pm, so we spent the morning finishing cleaning the house & getting ourselves ready.  Mom put the finishing touches on the dinner preparations
     They finally arrived at 2:00 pm.  We visited until 4:00, then sat down to enjoy the meal.  There was a huge turkey, squash, candied yams, peas, stuffing, bread (rolls that Avis made) & much more.
     After dinner, we visited for a while longer & then had dessert.  There was a choice of pumpkin pie, cherry pie, or chocolate cake, & you could have either ice-cream or whipped cream with it.
     John is still dating Diana & he said he sees her about twice a week.  He lives in Tacoma now, sharing an apartment with 2 other guys.
     About Jim.  He turned out to be a flake.  His one & only love is computers.  He also seems contemptuous about the "young" age of 18.  He never puts me down, but he certainly derides others.  You see, he's at the venerable old age of 26.
     Jim is much better looking than John, in appearance.  John, however, is a more beautiful person, inside.  I wish things could be different.
     However, I gave John my address & he promised he'd write.  I won't get my hopes up too high, just in case.

*****

Wow.  What a random blast from the past that was!

First off, "Aunt" Avis was NOT my aunt.  She was the mother of my dad's best friend growing up.  They lived near Poulsbo, WA at that time.  My dad helped dig the hole for their swimming pool when he was a teen.

John was her youngest son.  You may have gathered that I had a bit of a crush on him.  Not long after this, he became my first official boyfriend... and my first kiss.  That's right.  I had "virgin lips" (a phrase coined by my daughter and her friend) until I was 18 years old.  I wish I could tell you that my first kiss was magical.  It was so far from that!  He was a wet, sloppy kisser.  Ugh!  Our relationship was doomed to failure because he was a devout Lutheran and I was (and still am) a Mormon.  He felt it was his duty to explain to me all of the reasons my religious views were faulty and every date turned into a religious argument (he called them 'debates').  I never wanted to talk religion, he just couldn't let it rest.  I ended the relationship after only a few months.  My parents were relieved.  Dad always hated the idea of me dating John.

As for this Jim character, I don't even remember him at all.  I have no idea what he looked like or how I knew him.  I do know one thing, though, he was WAY TOO OLD!  Twenty six?!?  What was I thinking?!?  I obviously thought that 18 was a mature and grown up age, even though I was living with my parents, had no responsibilities, and driving one of their cars around.  Sheesh!  What is it about the teenage brain that is in such a hurry to be an adult?  Whoever Jim was, he had a right to be 'contemptuous'.  I was barely legal and he was completely right to steer clear of me.  So very creepy to realize that my daughter is the same age I was when I wrote this entry.  I can't imagine her interested in a 26 year old!  Ugh and double ugh!

There you go.  What did you think of "Flashback Friday"?  Is it worth a second go round next week?