April 22, 2008 | Filed under: vlogalicious, videoblogging Week
The Unicorn Years: Part Two.**
After a couple of years of writing in dated diaries I became embarrassed by the volume of empty pages when I didn’t write so I took to writing entries in blank books instead. The gaps are still there, just less obvious. That’s why the unicorn book lasted as long as it did. It stretches all the way into March of 1986 - the Spring semester of 11th grade - and it’s still more than half empty. I never could resist starting a new blank book.
There is a huge gap between September of ‘84 through September ‘85. The pages for the entire school year are actually ripped out. I have no idea when I did that, but I do remember why: junior year was excruciating. Academically disastrous, friendships obliterated, loyalties tested, epic scale teen-girl drama. I’m pretty sure my best high school girl friend wrote a play about that year when she was old enough to parse it all. You couldn’t pay me to relive high school, particularly that year.
Now we’re getting into the yucky part of being a teenager. Pain, rejection and parental disapproval.
I really should have stopped listening to The Smiths so much. But how could I? They were speaking directly to me.
**Today there may be a ‘Dear Diary’ two-fer. I’m hoping to cram in VBWeek #3 before I go to work. If not, the whole week will be off by a day. As you can plainly see from my diary entries regarding school, organization and prioritizing were never my strong suits.
April 22, 2008
@ 7:36 am
Summer 1984 Olympics in LA and McDonalds took a bath on a promo giving away food for medals USA won. USA won tons due to Eastern bloc boycott. I ate at MC D’s a lot that summer. As far as The Smiths, shame you were too young too wail around drunk at 2 am when How Soon is Now was a big hit in the clubs. Can’t wait for college years! Did we cross paths at Dancateria or Pyramid?
April 22, 2008
@ 8:09 am
OMG OMG OMG
April 22, 2008
@ 1:35 pm
Oh, I’m so right there with you. My junior year was a nightmare - my parents had just divorced, I was in a new school, totally confused…. Ha ha, I bet you have Verdi freaking out because his own two beautiful daughters are dancing around this time of life, and no matter what a great dad he is, he can’t help the fact that they’ll go through their own maze of crazy feelings like these. Quick, take away the Smiths records!!
Your use of the Van Halen song at the beginning was perfect, as was the Smiths at the end. I didn’t save stuff from high school, though I wrote a lot - same gifts of yearly diaries from some family member. I do think somewhere there’s a shoebox of notes passed back and forth during class with my best friend, Allison. She wanted to marry R2-D2. But she would occasionally wonder, via passed note, whether that guy in the back of the room was *bulging* - and I couldn’t have been less interested. But we also co-wrote stories, one paragraph at a time, passing back and forth inside one of those scented magic markers (with the ink part removed). If I can find that, I’ll take my cue from you and read it for vlogging week!
These are awesome, Bekah. Awesome!!
April 22, 2008
@ 3:29 pm
I saw you posted a new diary vlog and could hardly wait to get home to watch it. I’ve enjoyed your memories. Thanks for sharing.
Did you look back and chuckle?
April 22, 2008
@ 6:43 pm
“life’s a bitch then you die”…truer words never spoken!
April 23, 2008
@ 8:37 am
I’m impressed at how organized you were in your teenage thoughts. My horrifically embarrassing journals were pure stream-of-consciousness ramblings about how civilization was doomed and me along with it. I’m depressed. No, wait, I’m not depressed anymore.
April 24, 2008
@ 1:21 am
[…] Bigger (640×480) [4:42m]: Download Inspired by Bekah Havens‘ highly personal, tortured-teen-girl and, well, plaid diary readings, but with no diary of my own at hand, I present you this week […]
May 13, 2008
@ 10:52 pm
This is so awesome on so many levels.
May 28, 2008
@ 2:41 pm
I’m just finding these diary videos now. They are so made of win. Very entertaining…and brave.
I still have diaries from middle and high school. Though I doubt I’d be brave enough to read them aloud to the internets. But maybe I could do something…
I think you’re going to start a trend!
June 3, 2008
@ 7:41 am
Oh man, when I read this: “I really should have stopped listening to The Smiths so much. But how could I? They were speaking directly to me.” First, I laughed. And then I wept a little bit, because oh my god, it was so true. The stupid Smiths made me sleep with more than my fair share of soon-to-be homosexuals. Also, I love your glasses. Found you through knottyyarn.com
July 8, 2008
@ 9:57 am
hey how are u? ad me on myspace the song on it is me on guitar
September 1, 2008
@ 11:18 pm
Beckah:
Are you Jean Kelly’s and Richie Havens’daughter? If so, I knew you when you were a little girl in NY, and my little boy and you played to gethere. I’ve been trying to get hold of your mom.