For some reason when I get sick, I yearn for simpler times. Often there are only two things that can heal me: classic movies and keepsakes.
Audrey Hepburn reminds me there is still grace and beauty beyond my tangled hair, raw nose, and the pile of snot rags which strangely joined forces to become a second blankie.
Photos and old letters soothe me with their portrayals of youth and memories, so I can forget my phlegm-filled sorrows.
Last week while I was playing Britt Sniffles, I plunged into the bottom of my messiest closet and busted out my dusty box of journals.
OK, fine. They were diaries, alright?
As entertaining as my angsty, whiny, and heart-broken stack from my late teens/early twenties is, I’ve decided to share tidbits from my very first diary.
Aw, Britt.
(I know. I know.)
I’m a little unsure of the year, possibly 1990-1991. The Hula girl pic below is from the Britt era in question. For the sake of easier reading I fixed up some of the spelling errors, but I left the emotional quality intact.
Happy reading!
FEBRUARY 13
Dear Diary,
Today I got my first spiral perm. The perm took three hours. It was worse than I thought it would be.
JUNE 3
Dear Diary,
Today I did a Hawaiian dance. Before I danced, I ate. Then I danced, but I kind of messed up. I was lucky I was at the end of the line.
JUNE 5
Dear Diary,
Today I saw Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. It was a funny movie. It was also exciting.
OCTOBER 10
Dear Diary,
Today I whispered into Jeffrey’s ear…I love you. Then he said…what? So, I said it again but everybody in class heard me. I was embarrassed.
OCTOBER 15
Dear Diary,
Today was kind of an exciting day because I turned in my soda cans. I got fifty-three cents. So now I have forty-two dollars and fifty-eight cents.
OCTOBER 16
Dear Diary,
Today I learned how to do headstands and cartwheels and I was outside a long time with my friend. It was fun.
OCTOBER 22
Dear Diary,
Today I asked my dad to give me some words to look up. He gave me nine words and I looked up the nine words.
OCTOBER 24
Dear Diary,
Today we had burritos, salad, and milk. My lunch was good.
OCTOBER 27
Dear Diary,
Today at my reading class we had a test. I really don’t know if I got all of them right. I hope I did.
Britt Skrabanek 
This is adorable!
LOL, thanks! Thought it was fun to share, in a slightly embarrassing way, of course.
😉
: )
Ha, yes, I have a 3rd grade diary something like that! If only I could keep my passages so short and succinct now. 😉
I’m thinking you should bust out that diary, Carrie. I’m sure it’s epic.
About as epic as paint drying…
Ah bless. Interesting you were striking poses even that long ago.
Pretty sure I was voguing in the womb. : )
This is so charming!!!
Ha, thanks!
Love! My favorites are Jeffrey and the horrors of the spiral perm.
I was laughing my ass off when I read this last week. Perms and puppy love…hilarious.
So sweet and yes, so simple. It makes me wonder what kids these days at that age would write. Somehow I don’t think they would write anything half as innocent.
I remember those 3-hour perms. Gawd!
I hear ya, Kate. Thinking my prehistoric no cell phone youth was pretty special.
Perm war buddy! Yay! lol
That is so awesome. Thanks for trusting is with your heartfelt secrets. ~Gail
Oh, Miss Gail! You know I tell you loves everything. You’re good peeps.
LOVE this! It’s amazing to go back and remember how we thought as children, and the small firsts that were so exciting. Thanks for opening up your diary to us.
It really is interesting. I love the short and sweet ways of expressing feelings. It was fun. It was exciting. Such a simpler time…le sigh. : )
Oh my god. I love this! Your diary is so much more interesting than mine. Many of mine declare a new love every other day. Boy, was I fickle. The others go on and on about things I vowed never to do to my kids when I grew up. My wise, 5th-grade self promised to never make my children eat Brusselsprouts.
Oops! Broke that promise a few times.
LOL! I guess I was more of the committed pup, with eyes for only one silly bad boy. Pretty sure he didn’t even like me. At least, he never let on that he did…that whole thing.
Love your brussels sprouts vow! That’s so cute.
[…] When I was about 10 years old, I got really into writing. My parents encouraged me to write regularly in a diary and Anne Frank was my hero. I had this amazing white diary with colorful hearts on it and a lock and key. I shared some embarrassing highlights from this diary in a blog about six years ago… […]