In the Spirit of the Last Entry...

Over the holiday, I visited my parents and ran across some journals a little older than those quoted in the previous entry.  When I was a kid, I used to start a diary almost every January...and then abandon it by February. 

Here are some things I felt worthy of recording when I was younger, so much younger than today... 


January 2, 1990:
"Sarah came over to play and in 20 days I'll be 8."

January 10, 1990:
"I went to school late and I got my picture taken."

January 14, 1990:
"Dad was sick and I'm sick and I got a new jacket."

January 17, 1990:
"It's Katie Lamm's birthday and she got spanked."

January 18, 1990:
"I played with [my brother] John and didn't fight at all."

January 22, 1990:
"HAPPY Birthday!  Today I turn 8.  I got my very first real camera."

January 23, 1990:
"Today I got a diary, shoelaces, and The Little Mermaid."

***

January 11, 1994 (age 11):
"Amanda is still in love with Sam!  I found out today that Elizabeth likes [another boy] AND Sam!  Both are geeks.  Especially Sam."

January 12, 1994:
"The rechargeable batteries for the SEGA aren't working."

January 14, 1994:
"We got an AC adapter for the Game Gear today.  I sent off for Publishers Clearing House.  We might win $50!"

January 17, 1994:
"Dad said by tomorrow the oxbow [pond] will be frozen over!  I hope the ice makes the roads bad and we won't have to go to school tomorrow!"

January 18, 1994:
"I did go to school today!  I'm going to go to APEX on Thursdays now because of D.A.R.E."

January 20, 1994:
"Yesterday I had my first piano lesson [of the year], my fish died, and I got my inflatable dinosaur* which was supposed to be a crayon, but I still named her Carlotta."

[*I used write away for free toys all the time.  In hindsight, I have no idea how that worked.]

***

January 3, 1995 (age 12):
"Today is the last day of Christmas vacation!  I have always dreaded today and probably always will."

"It's hard being the oldest one in a group."

January 5, 1995:
"It's supposed to snow after midnight tonight.  I really, really hope it does.  And I really, really hope it sticks.  And I really, really hope that school is canceled tomorrow.  It would be soooo great if it was!"

"Some people are just plain stupid."

January 7, 1995:
"I babysat for the Prices today for three hours and I made eight bucks.  [The kids] asked me a lot of questions.  In fact, [the little boy] asked me, 'How do they make people?'  Boy, that one threw me off!"

January 19, 1995:
"John's throwing a fit because he has to write some spelling words.  Big deal!  If he had gone through my hectic day, with AIDS education and all!"

***

Also among these old journals was a bunch of stuff from when I was salutatorian in high school.  Apparently my numerical average was 99.9756 (Jesus Christ), and the State of Tennessee issued a proclamation for me (whatever that means).  And I was written up in the paper.  From the scintillating article, "Future Community Leader:  Rebecca Heineke":

"...Rebecca Heineke [...] has a hobby that is a bit unique.  She is an avid Beatles fan, collecting memorabilia, studying up on the Fab Four, listening to their music.  But her time with John, Paul, George and Ringo has not kept the Bartlett High School salutatorian from being serious about her studies as well.  'It's because I'm a perfectionist.  I was just trying to beat my own grades,' she explains as the reason for her success."

"Heineke describes herself as 'creative' and 'hard-working,' but she is also courageous, daring to walk her own way, love learning and be concerned about the environment when to do so is neither young, hip nor glamorous."

FACT:  For all of my writing about "change," I remain exactly the same person as I always have been.

1999