Amy Lu's View

I discovered a gold mine of nostalgia yesterday while attempting to clean out junk in our upstairs: My “Values Journal” from 8th grade history class (I didn’t actually do much cleaning).

As you can imagine, laughters and tearing-up ensued.

I’m including actual shots of my entries (Hey, I could be a digital archivist!) This will allow you to marvel at my beautiful, ginormous handwriting. If you click on the images you should be able to read the entries: “Obituary” and “Daydreams.”

Some things that strike me about 8th grade Amy:

• I really, really, really wanted to be a VJ on MTV–this was 1983–but luckily, I wasn’t delusional enough to think that was very likely.
• On the other hand, my aspirations were rather modest. If I could live anywhere in the world? Augusta (maybe I actually wanted to live in the “city” and not out in the country?) Daydream #8: To have hair that styles without being curled or blow dryed.
• Speaking of daydreams, I only achieved a few of them: I got an “A” on the journal; for about 5 years in my 40’s I could see without glasses or contacts after I had Lasik; and I never had to take gym after college. But I really knocked it out of the park in achieving my #1 Daydream: To be able to get cable stations, especially MTV. I guess Chad and I really WERE meant to be!
• The most beautiful or enjoyable experience I’d ever had: Going to Valley Fair. That makes me laugh and cry.
• Speaking of crying, I said the three people who could make me upset (in this order) were my brother, my sister, and my mother. I think that’s an honor.
• I liked “Remington Steele” as much as “Friday Night Videos”?! I know I liked it but I don’t remember liking it that much!
• Something that hasn’t changed are “Two things you are good at”: Playing the drums and spending money.

In some ways, I really haven’t changed that much in 37 years. At the end of my first entry, I wrote, “Some of the things that are important to me are religious faith, my family, and my friends. I think people are important, and that trying to be concerned about them is too.”

I love how I wrote trying to be concerned about people…talk about managed expectations! Forget about actually being concerned, or having empathy, or loving other people, much less actually doing something to help them, I just wanted to be concerned.

I find young Amy’s realism and self-honesty refreshing and inspiring. Or maybe this was just Gen-X rural German lowkeyness. Whatever, I appreciate a goal I feel I can actually aspire to right now.