Scrapping unpleasant memories?

If you plan on having a family some day... maybe you might regret it. I look like a dork in my pictures too, but I think.... "ahhh it's was the 70's nobody else look much better." My kids love seeing the weird styles and seeing how ackward I looked as a kid and teenager. I hope it makes them feel a bit better about the stages they are going through. Of course I think they look fabulous now, but in another 20 years who knows maybe these styles will look odd.

Lynne

You don't have to do a whole book about it, but I don't think you'd be doing yourself justice if you don't do at least a page or two from each major milestone of your life. There's got to be SOMETHING from that time that you remember favourably - write about that and ignore the bad parts. If you ever have kids they'll really want to see that kind of stuff...

Should I really ignore the bad parts though? That would be only telling half the story. I have a picture of me and my "best friend" from 8th grade. I don't know how to journal that without mentioning that throughout our entire friendship, unbeknownst to me, people would make fun of her for being my friend so she would tell them I was a devil worshipper who had threatened to kill her and her family if she stopped being my friend. The picture of us smiling and having fun is a lie. Or, the one of me decorating our float for homecoming in 10th grade. It was my first and only attempt to "fit in." I was having a great time, everyone was a lot nicer to me than I thought they would be, even the mean girls. We all worked really hard and I was so proud of what we did and couldn't wait for the parade. But then, the day of the actual parade, they told me the wrong meeting place on purpose so I wouldn't be on the float because they thought I was too fat and ugly. I'd feel like a liar if I didn't include those stories, but they're so painful.

I agree with everyone else you should scrap this time. Even if it was very painful for you, scrapping it might help you come to terms with the things that happened then and see how they shaped you into the person you are now. It might also help your kids or grandkids to know that everyone feels awkward and hates the way they look in middle school and high school. I think you might regret leaving it out at some point.

WOW Luna, these are great not to mention DEEP subjects for me too. Until I left home at age 17 and went into the Army, I had no life. I was despised by a tyrannical step family, despised in school and picked on because of a oustanding feature that I had (a famous one from Disney LOL!) and because I was like a dork of the day (black large framed glassses, short hair and ALWAYS had pens and stuff in a shirt pocket) and was smart. Made a's in all classes except Geometry - YUCK!!

Anyhow I had a lot of problems with my life and after years of help mostly from friends such as many in this group, I accepted that as part of "my" life. I do not have many pictures and stuff from that era,only few gleaned from distant family and friends. So I put them in my ALL ABOUT ME album.

I know I will never have children and know that once I am gone all my stuff well be thrown out. But in that slim chance of fate someone MAY actually see some interest and read the stuff I have compiled and realize that Life does go o, it sucks from time to time, and WE as=A0humans perservere and adapt to some extent, albeit some better than others.

Thanks for listening to my brief sullen story, but MORE SO thanks for bringing up a very sensitive subject to many in this creative, memory filled hobby or craft.

(hugs)

OKC Dave

Check out my pix and crafts!