To celebrate, let's read excerpts from anniversaries of yore:
First, the first entry of the journal. I mean, I'm no expert, but i'm pretty sure the key to a good read is an enthralling opener. So, i don't want to boast or anything, buuut, you be the judge:
December 16, 1993 4:40 P.M.I figured I should start my journal (AGAIN!!) I have about a hundred. I have a typed one, (on the typewriter) and I think two written ones. I know, I know that's not a hundred, but please, it's a figure of speech. Anyway, I called this "Journalfer" because I just didn't want to put 'Journal' because that sounds dumb. I wanted it to have something to do with me. So, I called it journalfer. Or maybe I could do Jennifernal. Whatever. Today was a typical day at school.
And that's how my legacy begins.
Here's the first anniversary, which, as we know, firsts are a pretty big deal:
I typed at some length before i realized i was a day late:December 17, 1994 10:12 P.M.IT'S MY 1 YEAR JOURNAL ANNIVERSARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gee whiz. I haven't typed for a month!!
Oh. Wait. Just kidding! Heh heh! Yesterday was the anniversary. Oh, well. We have quite a large Christmas tree. But then again, don't we always?
moving on...
December 16, 1996 4:20pm
Guess what!! Today is the three-year anniversary of my journal!! Wow!!! Three years... How funny. I was such a geek in eighth grade. So, the X-mas dance is in 5 days. It is going to be so fun!!First of all, the overabundance of exclamation points is irritating, yet age-appropriate, so acceptable. Second of all, this was before i knew what "geek" meant. I was a geek in 8th grade, but continued to be and shall, proudly, for the remainder of my life. I know explanation is unnecessary but i thought some commentary might be nice.
In this next one, the prose is, I admit, a shock even to my own eyes. So profound. So, elegant. Like music.
December 17, 1997 4:02pm
Guess what! Yesterday was the four-year anniversary for this journal and I didn't even type in it! I'm such a loser! But do you want to know how I celebrated it? I went to the dentist. AAAaaaaaaaaa!!!!
And then the next year...
December 16, 1998 1:23pm
p.s. AAHHH! 99,551 words! I only have 500 words left and I will hit 100,000 words! COOL!
Here’s a journal memory...I remember when my journal was 30 pages long and I thought that was so cool. Now, 100 pages later, I’m still goin’ strong and I don’t think I’m QUITE as retarded, though. That’s a good thing. Ahhh...the good days. We’ve been through everything, haven’t we Journal. True, my entries have been sparse during the semester, but if I had my own computer it would be a ton easier. I don’t though, so I have to come over here to my dad’s office and use his computer. It’s still good though. I should probably try to make more of an effort to come here and type. Sometimes tons of stuff happens and I don’t type for a while. Not good. Anyway, so I--WAIT!!!!! HEY!!! It’s our 5 year anniversary!!! TODAY! HEY! :D :D :D I’m so glad I typed today! I didn’t even know! December 16th, 1993 I started this Journal. Sniff sniff. Wow. That’s so cool I typed today! I was gonna finish the memory, but then I thought ‘Hey, what’s the date today?’ and I realized it was the anniversary. How fun!! That just made my day. Lame, but oh well. Happy Anniversary, Journal! HEY! Only 220 words to go from the pink text. Alright! What a Christmas present!
First, let me apologize for the completely offensive use of "retarded." It's abhorrent, and I profusely apologize for my 18-year-old self. Second, see how I reminisced about my journal, with my journal? I told you, it's special, our relationship.
But wait, before I signed off...
..same day 4:40pmOK! I’m back and it is NOW EXACTLY the anniversary! YAY! Ok, that’s all. Bye! :)
When was I studying?
and the next year...
December 16, 1999 11:47amI was too busy preparing to ring out the new millennium to type in 2000.
Oh...my... GOSH! I was just going to start typing about my billions of stories when I realized a very important fact. IT’S OUR 6 YEAR ANNIVERSARY! AAAHHH!!! :D Haaappy Anniversary! Hahaha. Man....I can’t believe I almost forgot. When I put in the date I was like “Hmm....that means something...what does it meeeannn. Hmmm....” And then it hit me. Yay! 6 years! :) Here’s some more exciting news: I’M ALL DONE WITH FINALS! YYYEEESSS!!!
December 17, 2001 1:47pm
HAPPY 8TH ANNIVERSARY!!.... yesterday. Sorry. I couldn’t type yesterday cuz it was Sunday. Oh, well. The day after is almost as good. Can you believe it’s been 8 years? Craziness.
I should point out that i did not have a rule of no journal-writing on Sundays. I kept my journal on my dad's computer on campus. Just a fun fact, that's not really that fun.
And then a couple years later i was married.
January 7, 2004 8:38pmHey there! Happy New Year! Man, it’s been quite a while, eh. Almost a month! Whoa! Well, first of all, I want to give a belated “HAPPY 10th ANNIVERSARY!!” I started this journal December 16, 1993 so we hit the 10 year mark. I’m very sorry I couldn’t type on the day but well, we were leaving for Utah the next day so we were pretty busy.
December 16, 2005 2:27Once again, upon typing the date I realized it is the anniversary of the birth of this journal!!! How exciting! Seriously, I didn’t think of it until I was typing the date. Ok, let’s see. 12 years. Wow. That’s really freaking amazing, you know? Good job! High fives all around. You know, sometimes as I read back I realize how much I’ve changed and grown and matured. I mean, 12 years is a substantial amount of time, wouldn’t you say? But then, other times I’m reading and I realize that in some ways, I haven’t changed at all. I’m still debating whether or not that’s a good thing.
and then i typed about other stuff, blah blah blah.. and then at the end:
Alright, I guess that’s it. Happy anniversary, journal. You’ve been my faithful friend for 12 good years. Here’s to 12 more. (Suddenly this turned into a toast speech) How old will I be in 12 years? 37. Wow. Hopefully I’m still as cool. Ha ha. Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I will be. Cheers!
January 1, 2007 2:57pmYou know, I think I remember typing for the first time in the new year of 1997 and making the 7 giant. Can you believe it’s been 10 years since then? And what, let’s see.. what’s our anniversary? Sorry I forgot to mention it. I wonder if I typed near the date and didn’t even say anything. Let me check. Ooh, yes. I typed on the 13th and made no mention of it. Well, happy anniversary on the 16th! 13 years of journal-keeping, that’s what it is. I was 13 when I first started typing. That’s significant. Anyway, happy new year!
December 3, 2007 4:45pm
Hope you're having a very merry Christmas and happy anniversary journal in about 2 weeks! 14 years! high five!
December 22, 2007 10:35pm
[at the end of the entry]
Alright, i guess that's all for now. Oh! I wanted to mention that on Dec. 16th i stopped suddenly at dinner... i think we were talking about the date, and i said, "Today's my anniversary!!" So i did remember. :) Happy anniversary, journal . 14 years and going strong. High five.
December 15, 2009 5:09pm
WHOA! I just realized tomorrow is our anniversary! Happy 16th, Journal!! Darn, I should have typed then. Oh well. It had been long enough. Fun times though. J I can’t believe I was 13 when I started this. And now I’m 29? What the what? How is it that I am almost 30? Am I the same person? Am I completely different. Something tells me I am much the same. But hopefully in the best ways because… wow. No one wants to still be their 13-year-old self. Especially when I read back at the things I wrote. Yikes.
I'm not sure that's true.
These later entries aren't nearly as good as the early ones. Which is a good lesson: it pays to begin your journal as a kid because later on it's more about the content and precious experiences recorded and not so much your personality and the treasure that is you as a teenager.
Boooorriiiing.
But on that note, haaaaappy anniversary!!!! :D :D YAY! 19!!!
1 comment:
Extra-ordinary.
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