February 8, 1965

Down the Merseyside rabbit hole we go! #memoir

February 8, 1965

I was no good today in school. I almost fell asleep in F period study. We didn’t do anything, but tomorrow we have 3 tests - Biology, Geometry, and History. Ugh! At Girl Scouts only 5 girls showed up I told them about the Senior Planning Board Meeting. I got a letter from P. She sounds like a real hood, but I still like her. I hope I can see her next summer. I like V, too. I was reading parts of her letter to Bob and came to a part where she asked “How’s V?” I almost gave my love away.

February 8, 2021

About "the middle".

In 2016 I was visiting my girlhood home in the Nebraska sandhills. A coffee shop acquaintance described herself as living "in the middle of nowhere", then paused two beats and said "or the middle of everywhere, maybe". It's stuck with me ever since, as a person living "on the coast" and how that never feels like the middle. 

February 8, 2023

And so my secret crush begins to leak out. My best friend from New Jersey was a safe confidant; she had a crush, too, and we traded stories of missed opportunities and hallway glances. I notice that this was the first time I used the word “love” to describe my feelings for V, and in a peculiarly awkward, song-lyricky way. At first, I got vibes of “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away”, but the Beatles didn’t release that until summer, 1965. Then I remembered “Don’t Throw Your Love Away” by the Searchers, which came out in 1964. 

Don't throw your love away
No, no, no, no
Don't throw your love away
For you might need it someday

Good advice!

The 2021 entry is a tease for tomorrow. I skipped February 9 in 1965, so I can write anything I want!