Hi everyone! I have a special guest blogger today … my daughter Emily!
But first, a little background info. I’m a bit of a packrat. Truth be told, I’ve saved papers from kindergarten through college. So last week I stumbled across a binder full of my old papers. I glanced at it and left it on the kitchen table.
When Emily got home she looked through it. While I made supper, she enjoyed making fun of my geometry scores and archaic shorthand homework. But there was one assignment she found particularly interesting. A paper I wrote when I was sixteen years old.
“Oh Mom, you should share this on your blog!”
I shook my head. “No way.”
“Oh come on! You could call it a throwback.”
I thought for a moment. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll share that old paper if you write about it.”
“Fine.” She gave me a victorious smile.
So without further ado, here’s my dear daughter Emily …
But first, a little background info. I’m a bit of a packrat. Truth be told, I’ve saved papers from kindergarten through college. So last week I stumbled across a binder full of my old papers. I glanced at it and left it on the kitchen table.
When Emily got home she looked through it. While I made supper, she enjoyed making fun of my geometry scores and archaic shorthand homework. But there was one assignment she found particularly interesting. A paper I wrote when I was sixteen years old.
“Oh Mom, you should share this on your blog!”
I shook my head. “No way.”
“Oh come on! You could call it a throwback.”
I thought for a moment. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll share that old paper if you write about it.”
“Fine.” She gave me a victorious smile.
So without further ado, here’s my dear daughter Emily …
I looked through the crinkled, yellow pages in the bulging binder. There was geometry homework, shorthand worksheets and book reports. I was hoping to find juicy love letters or secret notes that were passed when teachers weren’t looking.
Then a title caught my eye: “Three Types of Guys.” Guys? I can’t picture my mom thinking about guys. Laundry? Yes. Dinner. Sure. But guys? No way.
The date was September 16, 1986 and my mom was sixteen. I’m sixteen! I couldn’t imagine how things have changed in thirty years.
Then a title caught my eye: “Three Types of Guys.” Guys? I can’t picture my mom thinking about guys. Laundry? Yes. Dinner. Sure. But guys? No way.
The date was September 16, 1986 and my mom was sixteen. I’m sixteen! I couldn’t imagine how things have changed in thirty years.
When I finished reading Mom’s paper, I looked over at my dad. Let’s see, how does Dad measure up?
A jock? Well, he is really into sports. He encourages me and my sisters in every sport we do. He coaches us, tells us what we want to hear. He also tells us what we don’t want to hear. He shoots hoops with us, passes the volleyball around and catches our softball pitches.
A joker? If getting embarrassed by him on a daily basis qualifies him as a joker, then he has succeeded. He is constantly laughing – and making us laugh too.
And serious? Well, he works hard to provide for us. He lays down the rules and expects us to abide by them. He always gives 100%.
Maybe it is possible to find a combination of those three types of guys after all!
Maybe it is possible to find a combination of those three types of guys after all!
Thanks Em! And you know, I’ve been thinking. Things sure have changed since I was in high school. For example:
I talked to my friends on a phone with a long curly cord that I stretched as far away from my family as possible. You text your friends on your iPhone.
I listened to Bon Jovi, Whitney Houston and Heart on my walkman. You listen to Calvin Harris (and some other people I’ve never heard of) on the iPad.
I wore stone-washed Guess jeans. You wear American Eagle skinny jeans.
I worked hard to curl and feather my hair. You straighten yours.
I could go on and on, but I’ll end with this: After reading that old assignment, I was reminded of one thing that hasn’t changed a bit.
Teenaged girls still think about boys.
I talked to my friends on a phone with a long curly cord that I stretched as far away from my family as possible. You text your friends on your iPhone.
I listened to Bon Jovi, Whitney Houston and Heart on my walkman. You listen to Calvin Harris (and some other people I’ve never heard of) on the iPad.
I wore stone-washed Guess jeans. You wear American Eagle skinny jeans.
I worked hard to curl and feather my hair. You straighten yours.
I could go on and on, but I’ll end with this: After reading that old assignment, I was reminded of one thing that hasn’t changed a bit.
Teenaged girls still think about boys.
I am 16, going on 17 …
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Emily, 16 years old
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And… to flash back another 25 years or so… My phone actually had a DIAL (you know, that circular thingy with holes for your fingers to match up the numbers) I listened to the Beatles, Jethro Tull and Melanie (anyone remember “candles in the rain”?) I wore Levis or chinos and actually HAD hair! and yea, thought about girls…
Jethro Tull and The Beatles … I love it! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Super cute and sweet piece, Sheri and Emily! Your handwriting was really nice, Sheri. I could picture myself saying similar things at that age, and, well, that pesky “their”! Looks like you both are writers. Thanks for sharing that look back!
Thanks Hally. And yep, “their” tripped me up all the time! Those were the days before spellcheck. 🙂