This idea occurred to me several months ago - to write one or two random scenes from every year I've been alive. Might get long; I am OLD! I'll start with age five, because memories are unreliable before then.
When I was 5… I went to Kindergarten with Sister Wendelina as my teacher, and I had a crush (seriously? Age 5!) on Derek Z.
When I was 6… my hair was the longest it would ever be, just below my shoulders, and so I put it up in a half-ponytail for our Mexican dance “performance.” We wore long red, white, and green skirts that were pretty and flow-y and I loved mine.
When I was 7… I received a green pen from a teacher (Sister Anne Mary) that, for some reason, I treasured. It was just a pen.
When I was 8… I went to my first baby shower. My teacher was pregnant (this is all about my teachers so far!) and my Mom was the co-teacher in the class, so they invited me, too. I felt so grown up. I also got my ears pierced at 8.
When I was 9… I went skiing with my friend and her family in Pueblo, Colorado. It was the first and last time I’ve been skiing.
When I was 10… I went to my first boy-girl dances – one was a summer “luau” by the pool, at the country club. I don’t think I got to dance with the one boy I had my eye on.
When I was 11… My friends and I went TP-ing other friends’ houses, and nearly got caught one night. We hid under a window that turned out to be open. Our friend peeked his (yes, a boy! we were wild and brave!) head out and said, “Hi, guys.”
When I was 12… My friends had an unexpected going-away party for me at Teresa’s house since we unexpectedly moved from Texas to Florida. I was surprised and touched by the gesture. (Shortly thereafter, I was the new girl.)
When I was 13… I was the only one to wear her hair short. I thought there were no interesting boys in my class. I took pre-Algebra, and passed notes back and forth with my friend, Tracy L. in a tiny journal. We were catty in most of the notes.
When I was 14… I had a locker next to a boy named Alfie (crush!) and met my best friend who would become my cousin-in-law!
When I was 15… I was kissed by a boy.
When I was 16… Someone threw me a surprise birthday party and it meant the world to me.
When I was 17… I was in a pageant ("scholarship competition") and I went to a lot of baseball games.
When I was 18… I wrote letters to my Mom, and treasured the ones she wrote back to me on pretty printer-paper. (Days before email and cell phones!)
When I was 19… I auditioned for the University Concert Choir, which changed my life in many ways.
When I was 20… I spent 7 weeks in France, rooming with an odd girl from my hometown, flirting with another boy in our group, and writing letters to my serious boyfriend back home.
When I was 21… Ooh, I had a terribly dumb internship at a newspaper. Ugh. Newspaper work did NOT suit me.
When I was 22… I began working full-time at the SAME PLACE I WORK NOW.
When I was 23… I wanted to "see other people" while the boyfriend and I were long-distance-relationshipping, but instead he just flat broke up with me. I was SO relieved. It only took a couple days to get over him, although we had dated 4 years.
When I was 24… These 2 years are kind-of fuzzy. I think I went out quite a bit. I also became really involved at a church I loved.
When I was 25… I considered moving home to Pensacola.
When I was 26… I attended a company picnic, where I met the future Mr. el-e-e. :) I was in love by the third date, I think.
When I was 27… We married. Still the happiest day of my life.
When I was 28… I revisited my youth and participated in a musical: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. It was not as much fun as when I was a teen.
When I was 29… I ate right and exercised, and lost 10 pounds. I also discovered "Web 2.0" and message boards and Internet communities.
When I was 30… I became a mother.
When I was 31… I took a one-year-old cross-country on an airplane.
When I was 32… I lived much the same life as I do now, going to work, getting less done at home, and treasuring the lazy weekends that occur once in a while!
When I was 33… I began a pretty uncomfortable pregnancy, and played a lot of Sorry and CandyLand.
When I was 34… I remembered what it's like to want pretty, frilly pink things in my closets.
I'm older than I've ever been! ...and now I'm even older!
2 comments:
You have the best ideas for post ever. Could you chronicle my life for me, please? You know, there is actually a real market for that. saw it on the Today show, so it must be true and pervasive, right?
"lots of baseball games"...sigh :)
You've had an awesome life! And mine is better for having been part of yours :)
I love how you condensed each year into only one or two highlights. It's a lovely mini-bio. I relived it all as I read.
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