Monday, January 22, 2007

Dangerous discovery. Beware!

Tonight, while looking for something else entirely -- and isn't that always how it happens? -- I found an odd treasure trove of very early writings including class writing assignments, two or three brief attempts at journals -- something I've never kept consistently until bloggin' -- and a couple of prayer journals.

You might call it my blog from the 1970s.

I also found my first driver's license, a church bulletin from the day I preached on Youth Sunday at First United Methodist Church in Paris, Texas, a brochure from Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, with pictures of my family at the new church's dedication, my emcee script from half-time at homecoming, some really bad poetry, some not as bad folk songs, a "novel" of intrigue I began and abandoned in seventh grade and a letter to myself from 1976 that included this line: Most important of all, don't worry about things.

In one journal, I found what probably amounts to my first serious discernment list, written just after high school graduation in 1978 (italic commentary added):

Questions:
1) What should I do this summer?
Write?
Read?
excellent options even now and I did both this summer!

2) Should I go to Syracuse?
this was probably about visiting friends I met at a summer journalism workshop the year before

3) Should I try to go to Columbia?
this was probably about checking out the journalism school in Columbia, Mo.
I did neither


4) Should I invest in a zoom lens?
of course! and I did.

5) Where should I go to college in 79-80 and afterward?
by decree of my father, I was to attend Paris Junior College, where he taught, for my freshman year, even though I had a full-tuition scholarship to ANY state school
6) What career should I pursue?
back then I was trying to choose between drama and journalism

Funny how that last question lingers still!

Anyway, beware, this blog might really start time traveling bringing vintage kc to the 21st century!

1 comment:

Marian said...

I love it. It is so interesting to find old writing. To see what the younger versions of myself was thinking about (mostly boys... and social justice activism... as I recall). Your younger self sounds pretty hip... not unlike the current you. :)

Marian