Anna found my 8th grade journal in our old Lookout Mountain bedroom. Somehow, reading a journal from 8th grade is more enlightening than a journal from 2nd grade - perhaps because I am more in touch with my 7-year-old self than with my pre-teen naivete? Such moralism in a 13-year-old. At the risk of escalating my web presence, here are the chosen excerpts (all grammatical mistakes left in for charm):
From "Viewpoint from a Pencil" 11/15/95
You know, sometimes I wish I weren't a pencil. But I would never ever want to be a human. Humans seem to be so careless, and at least pencils are capable of getting things down on paper. I think I am content on {sic} being a pencil, although I am constantly getting headaches! What a life.
From "Freewriting" 12/1/95
This afternoon is going to be exciting and fun. First, I have basketball practice for only an hour! YEAH! Then I go to Andrew's JV basketball game and the other two varsity games. We get to go out to eat (my family), and I want to go to the Chop House, because that is where Mr. Geotte is going and I want to annoy him and his wife. [retroactive sinking feeling]
1/9/96
I know that things 250 years from now will be different from what they are today. Many people say the days will be better then, but I think they will be much worse, according the Bible. However, things are still very bad nowadays. There is much crime and bad things going on that is enough to make you want Jesus to come back soon. I know there are many rated R (restricted) movies nowadays, but in 250 years, probably there will be many rates NC-17, unless more and more bad movies move down to just PG-13 or PG.
2/12/96
One time, my sister Anna and I got into a very strange argument. I told her that she could not prove that I was not an alien from outer space. However, she did not seem to understand exactly what I was saying. She kept on arguing, "But I know you aren't an alien from outer space!", and when I asked her how she knew, she kept on saying dumb answers like, "We came from the same womb, didn't we?" After about a week, Anna finally saw the light and told me she knew she couldn't prove it, although she still assumed I was a human being.
From "Significance" 5/14/96
My salvation was the most significant part of my life, but as I hardly remember anything about that, I will write about my nephew, Eliot Stephen Kaufmann.
We found out that our sister-in-law, Kim, was pregnant on the night of David's controversial regional championship basketball game. I was unbelievably excited. Our mom and us three made out a banner that said, "News Flash! Ben and Kim are pregnant!"
It was nine long months before Eliot was born on October 10, 1995. I was determined that I would answer the call when he was born. As it turned out, I did get the call from Ben that the hospital was going to induce labor on Kim, and the baby would be born the next day. We were so excited I called our neighbors up the street and told them about it!
We were on Project S.O.A.R. when Mrs. Hindman announced to the entire group that Eliot had been born. She and Mrs. Levenger and Mr. Fingerle were keeping it a secret from us until then. We pretended to be mad. Since then, Eliot had visited us several times, and he is the cutest little baby on this earth.
From "Taking a Stand" 5/28/96
I will take a stand for the death penalty...I am not 100% positive that the Bible supports the death penalty, but I'm pretty sure it says something about it, although I may be taking it out of context...It would be hard to take a stand by myself, because probably no one would listen to me. If I did have some help, we might actually get something accomplished.
[having something to do with career goals] 5/29/96
I also enjoy several sports, such as running, basketball, and just playing wiffleball outside with my family and friends. However, these don't hold a real future for me, except for pure enjoyment and creating memories.
so that was when you gave up your future in wiffleball, sad . . .