Not World History or US History or anything interesting like that… Instead, it’s a blast into Trina’s past. I’ll set the stage. The date is April 13, 1985. Trina is 14 years old and in 8th grade. (8th grade? Was I ever that young?) For some reason, she decided on March 8 of that year to start a journal. It’s written on narrow ruled paper in a wire-bound notebook that’s long since lost the cover (but which I recall was blue and had a lot of stickers on it – I still love stickers).

Wow – profound! OK, I have a few questions for my past self. Um, which Grandma? Anderson or Short? Which church? There are 5 in town and I’ve been to all of ’em at one point. Heck, if she’d’ve stated it was the Brethren church, that wouldn’t have been very helpful either – there are 3 of ’em. Which choir? I’m assuming the junior high choir, but I think I might have been in the UCC choir at the time too. Or were we still at Troy First United Methodist? Ah, the joys of being a Preacher’s Kid.

I’ll look around for some context. Ah – next entry indicates that it was the junior high choir. Awww, the 14th was more interesting. Apparently Trina saw The Dark Crystal that day. Oh wow, and the 14th of April in 1985 begins my big crush on Eric Idle which has lasted ever since. (This is long before that upstart, Sylvester McCoy, came into my life.)

Looking at the previous entry, I discover that it was Grandma Anderson’s house. My cousin Eric (who at the time lived in Illinois) was there. (Along with his mom and step-dad, no doubt. But when you’re a kid, it’s the kids that are more interesting than the adults. Usually. Actually, quite a few of my friends at that time were older folks.)

Well, I might do this again sometime. Somewhere in my various journals is an entry where I figure out that I have a crush on Sylvester McCoy. I ought to find that and post it. 🙂