My Life, In A Nutshell (Part One)

March 12, 1979: I am born. I don't remember this.

1979-1981: Babyhood. Toddlerhood. I step on a bee to see what will happen. My mother spills green paint on my head and laughs until she cries at her tiny, indignant child. I dump orange juice into the fish tank so Matthew the Goldfish can have himself a drink.

1982: My mother takes me to see E.T. I am three years old and leave the theater absolutely pissed that E.T. would go back to outer space and leave Elliot on Earth. Worst ending EVER.

1984: I start kindergarten. Somewhere along the line I learn to read, and forever after have my nose buried in a book.

1986: The Challenger explodes, and I watch it on TV. This is the first disaster news I can recall.

1988:  My entire elementary school steps out onto the lawn to watch the next shuttle launch. I hold my breath and will Discovery into space, all by myself.

1989: My sister begins her love affair with The New Kids on the Block. I despise them and begin my own love affair with Tiffany of shopping mall fame. "I think we're alone now ...." Also, I win the school-wide spelling bee.

1990: My mom lets me get a perm. I wish she'd stopped me. I win the school spelling bee again (winning word: emperor) but don't study enough, and my showing at county is less than spectacular.

1991: I start middle school. I make friends with a girl named Belinda Yu. She is Chinese and wears dresses to school every day. She plays the piano and the violin and has the most beautiful handwriting I've ever seen.

1992: I switch to the magnet middle school and meet more of my people than I ever knew existed.

Comments

[mamadaisy]

wow, for a minute there, i had forgotten how old i actually am (very).

power to your people.

[Lori]

I want Part II!

[Anna]

I grew up with Belinda in elementary school and have always wondered where she is and what she's doing. I liked that her mom packed her lunches in tupperware and THEN put it in a brown bag. Plus, she always shared her candy with me.