As I've mentioned before, I've been reading the diaries I kept when I was a teen. Mostly they are simply a record of what I did each day, much of which is not particularly interesting. But there are exceptions, a sample of which follows. I should explain that my parents were 43 and 47 when I was born, and by the time I was a teen they were just plain tired (a state of being which I can empathize with now.) On Sunday, June 24, 1973, I wrote the following at age 16:
"I'm feeling very sorry for myself because this family doesn't go anywhere. I would've liked to see one of the rodeos this weekend - they were just about 2 miles down the road. And I didn't get to go to the carnival! I wanted to at least see what it looked like, but I guess nobody else did, so I can't. I'm scared to ride my bike that far alone and I can't drive the Plymouth. Friday night we were busy, and Saturday night I was, too, I guess. But If Mama wasn't at work tonight I'm sure she'd take me, or else I could take the Dodge. Daddy knows I want to go - I mentioned it a couple of times, but he just said , "Oh that's right - you did say something about that." I'm sure he's forgotten now. I don't like to bug him - after all, it IS his birthday - but I bet he'd take me if I asked. Maybe I'm being too silly about the whole thing, and acting like a baby. But I would like to go, and I might even see some of my friends.....I suppose parents forget the excitement of a carnival, the desire to be with those of your own age, and what fun it is to indulge in a little silliness. That's the trouble with getting old - you get too practical, you don't want to do "wild" things now and then, you like a quiet, calm life, with no noisy fairs in it. I don't want to get old for a long time, and when my body is old, I want to stay young at heart!"
I am now only 2 years younger than my father was then. I had long forgotten what I had written in that diary, yet I have attempted to remain young at heart! I took up skiing and rode my first roller coaster in my 40s, worked a summer job at an amusement park in my 50s, and I still go to the fair! I no longer care for most of the rides, but I like the bright lights and it's fun to people-watch there. Yes, I do like a quiet, calm life, but I still like to do something moderately "wild" now and then. I consider myself too young to get completely stuck in a boring rut. As long as I am physically able to get out and do interesting things, I will.
What a great post! I can so relate to this, especially as a mama of 4 trying to balance it all! I'm overwhelmed much of the time and we don't even have to leave home as much as most families since we homeschool and I'm a Stay-at-home mom! 😉
But now you've given me the idea to dig into the old boxes and find my diaries! What fun! ♥️ Thank you!
Thanks so much for stopping by! Glad you enjoyed my ramblings. The older I get, the more I realize we don't need to be "supermom" all the time. Stop and smell the roses, go exploring, chuck the routine out the window now and then, and let the dust collect on the furniture for another week. A year from now the dust will be forgotten, but the impromptu outing will be remembered.
que excelente post, me familiarizo en algunos aspectos, cuando naci mi papa tenia 48 años, y ahora 23 años despues; es verdad que la vida de mis papas se volvieron bastante practicos, como la mayoria, me alegra mucho que siga disfrutando de la vida a su manera, y siga haciendo cosas salvajes
Thank you so much for stopping by to read and comment! Like me, you probably won all the "Oldest Parent" contests among classmates. Ha ha!