Lets go back to 1986.... I was in Grade 2. This is the reason my daughter will NEVER have bangs until she is old enough to choose them for herself. Haha!
One of the funniest things I have from my school days was my journal scrapbook. Do you remember having to write out a short few lines every morning? I do, and I HATED IT! Why? Because I couldn't spell, and it was very frustrating. I tended to stick with things I somewhat knew how to spell, but even then it wasn't very pretty. This book has become the best joke between Ken and I. Why... because most entries were about Care Bears! Hey, it was the 80's! Check out my early art skills, woot.
Then sometimes I really tried to share a bit of what happened in my life...
If you can make out what I was trying to say, ten points. I think what I was trying to say was...
I was happy. I was at my Nana and Papa's. We went to Pizza Hut. We ate.
What I noticed through out the journal was that with words I wasn't sure I was spelling properly, I would draw a little picture above them for the teacher so she has some clue, see the little pizza. Wasn't I helpful! No wonder I got better at drawing, I was a terrible speller. Oh, and I still do that when sending Ken to the store and I can't spell the item, he gets a cute little picture. Awe.
Yeah, a poem about squirrels... so nice. Then I had to go and mention Care Bears again. Doh! That one always makes Ken laugh. Its just so random.
Elementary school in general for me was no fun. I wasn't doing well, and I struggled a lot and I had no friends. I did have a wonderful teacher for both grade 5 and 6. Thank heavens for her! She is one of few teachers I had that REALLY made an impact on me. She gave me this little note on the last day of class, I still live this way... thank you Miss Tasman.
By the end of grade 7 I had managed to feel a bit more confident and managed to start to grow my bangs out. YES!!!
High school was a whole new world and although some find it far worse than elementary school, for me it was LIBERATING! Finally I had a handful of teachers, teaching me only one subject each. I was able to focus and started doing well in school. I was an honor roll kid and I thank my teachers for that. Sure its my hard work, but behind every great student is amazing teachers.
Grade 9 started and I decided I was brave enough to cut off all my hair. It was a rebirth in a way. It didn't last long though because I was getting called a boy. Good grief... and then the following year EVERYONE cut their hair short. I guess I was ahead of the trends. Lol.
Grade 12 brought a new sense of confidence. Its the first time I remember holding my head up high walking down the halls. I had wonderful, wacky friends (who I am STILL friends with), I was on yearbook committee as the one of the co-editors and I no longer had bangs, woot!
I was fully invested in art for the long haul. I was honored my senior year as being the first recipient of the new art award. I had finally left a mark somewhere, and it really counted! Sure its high school, but for me it was coming full circle of a shy, awkward kid in elementary school who use to draw lots of Care Bears. Unto my own self be true.
Graduation came and went... I made it, I survived high school. I went on of course to college and animation school. Perhaps I will talk about those some other time.
For now I am off to tend to my little girl who is slowly improving. Her fever was high again this morning but it has been coming down gradually today. Hoping tomorrow she wakes up all better.
Oh, and to those who still wonder if I like Care Bears.... yep, sure do. Hee.
5 comments:
LOVE THE CARE BEARS!! Since you are a fellow care bear (and Disney) fan, you will appreciate this story from my childhood: when my sister and I were young, we were one of the few kids in school who didn't have any grandparents. My dad's parents died when we were really young, and my mom's parents, while still alive, were far away in Germany and quite ill. Anyway, my sister and I sometimes felt really bad when we heard our friends talking about the gifts they'd gotten from their grandparents, so my mother made us care bears (back when she was more into sewing than now) by hand and left them out for us. She told us they were from our fairy godmothers! Those care bears were treasured possessions for many, many years!
I really enjoyed reading that! I was a shy kid in elementary school and I always remembered that when I taught. Your artistic talent in elementary school exceeds mine today lol!! You have so many talents! Hope Ariel is 100% today. I hate fevers!!
Whew, my Mom made me have bangs too, and to this day, I still haven't gone back! Was that an 80's thing or what! Great post Jay!
(a) Just catching up! I hope Ariel is feeling better.
(b.1) The grade 7 picture is totally how I remember you when we met.
(b.2) I love the short haircut - SO not like a boy.
(c) Old letters are so much fun - scan away! With nothing moving in Adoptionland, a little distraction goes a long way, although I suspect I'll be red by the end of them!
(d) You will be proud to know I recently left the Spam haiku in our friends' guestbook. hehe
(e) Tonight I will have nightmares about bangs. I had them until grade 8. UGH.
your grade 9 picture is so teen angsty.
I love it.
Meeka
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