January 25
More to come I hope. This chapter is taking shape.
1965
I did fine - I think, on the midyear in English and not as good in History. The extra credit question in English we had five words to unscramble. 3 I got - grammar, Shakespeare and conspirators. The other two were tributes and tributaries. For "tribunes" I put down "rinse tub". It fit. I hope I get credit for it. We watched a special about ghosts and I am scared stiff. They showed one film of what they said was a ghost. I guess it was.
Comment 2006
For most of my childhood, I was terrified of the supernatural and anything to do with death. When I was four, my family drove to California from Nebraska to visit my grandparents. We stopped to tour a ghost town somewhere in Nevada, and I had to be dragged out of the car. In California, we saw a Martin & Lewis movie called "Scared Stiff" and "Jack and the Beanstalk" with Abbot and Costello, both of which gave me nightmares. Our drive home took us past some robber baron's castle, which reminded me of the giant's castle in "Jack and the Beanstalk". I not only refused to get out of the car, but huddled on the floor in the backseat while my family looked at the castle. By the time they came back to the car, I was in tears, convinced they had been eaten by a giant. Small wonder that at 15 I was still fearful of TV ghosts (not to mention the skeleton hanging next to me in Biology class).
And to think they teach four-year-olds about the Rapture.
Comment 2023
I don’t watch trauma in any form. Not any more. Back in in the 1970s, when film violence became much more graphic, I went to movies that got good reviews, despite their disturbing content. The Godfather. Deliverance. But eventually I realized that I am constitutionally inclined to transform those film images into nightmares. Reading is not as bad. I read all the Game of Thrones books, but did not watch the TV series. I have never seen a Tarantino movie, and have avoided Guillermo de Toro since I accidentally saw Pan's Labyrinth. I am sure they are brilliant, but also positive they are not for me. Think of it as emotional cilantro.
1979
Just finished my exercises. I'm on level two, no three, now. I have a slight headache that feels vaguely sinus-y, that I should do something about. There's not all that much to do this morning but it will be easier without a headache. I have resolved to write to CIBA, and to write my application for the University of Maryland job. Why do I feel nervous about that? There is so much to do and so little time.
1997
At New Windsor, for the church board retreat. How far I've come in the last two years on this board! How much I have learned! How many people I have met and known better.
I do wish I had an extra night here, alone. But I also want to do something special with Jim, since Kiddo 2 will be gone and Kiddo 1 will be babysitting. Like maybe spending the evening in bed. Hmmm.
2013
Woke up fairly early, around seven. Feeling rested. Good day yesterday. More to come I hope. This chapter is taking shape.
2024 Special entry for my brother Bob. He asked if I’d ever mentioned New Milford’s first garage band in the diary. I didn’t, but I kept picturing them and thinking it was form of the yearbooks. So here they are, from the 1966 Schaghticoke: The Mystics!
That's a cool photo. Thanks, Jo. The Mystics were the first group of my "peers" that I saw perform, and brought me the revelation that people like me could play the songs we were listening to on the radio. I was probably 16 or 17. Better late than never, eh?