Amongst the many boxes of junk, a broken kitchen chair, Christmas ornaments, recycling and Styrofoam packing material I found a box full of mementos my mom mailed me in 1996:
… plaque from the local Knights of Columbus cira 1986 proclaiming me a finalist in the Oratorical Contest in 8th grade – I have NO IDEA what I talked about, except some vague concept that the theme was Christian leadership
... Junior Girls Scout sash with the following badges:
- "Be a Fun-Maker" (What was that for?)
- "Art is All Around Us"
- "1982 Cookie Sale"
- "Ethnic Heritage"
- "Camp Potomac Woods 1982"
- "Girl Scout Camporee 1980"
- "Non-Partisan Voters Registration" (anyone who knows what my job is would find that one funny)
- ok, so I didn’t get a lot of badges. My Eagle Scout brother set the bar so high I just did what was fun
… a certificate from my All-Girls’ High School that closed my Junior year, indicating that I finished my Junior Year. (A fun Susan fact – I spent my Senior year as one of 20 girls at our brother school of 700 boys!)
... a mug from my Senior Prom, which is confusing since I didn’t go to my senior prom
… a wooden plaque with the "Footprints" poem thing that says "Graduate" at the bottom
… assorted plaques and awards that I got at my high school graduation (ok, so I was an overachiever): Kiwanis Club Award for Good Citizenship WITH MY NAME SPELLED WRONG!, Newspaper Award, English Award, French Award and Religion Award.
… Orange & Black tassel from my college graduation with the numbers "1994"
It’s not a big box. I think I should keep this stuff. It’s my history so to speak.
Plus I think it’s pretty funny that I apparently received the Religion Award in high school even though I a) have no memory of such a thing and b) had pretty much given up on the Church at that point as having no relevance to me or the world around me. Then again, look at me now ….
4 comments:
I seem to remember the 'Be a Fun-Maker' and 'Ethnic Heritage' ones, which were kind of funny even then because (1) I'm not a fun-maker, never was, EVER and (2) in inner-city Chicago, who isn't 'ethnic' in some way? We didn't see what the big deal was; that was our universe.
I wonder where my badges are... I remember 'Math Whiz,' the one with the orange triangle wearing a mortarboard. I can barely do simple math anymore.
The best years of our lives....?
ps I loved camp. Loved it, loved it, loved it! Butternut Springs in Valparaiso, IN.
Wow! You guys have much better memories than I do.
I found my GS stuff in my bedroom last week. I had a complusive mother -- some of her uniform stuff was in there and it's still in the packaging. Really.
You are so lucky to have a box of your memories. Not everyone has a Mom or family who saves things. I'm from generations of pack rats so I find these envelopes filled with pictures, detritus and baby teeth in a cotton ball.
I can't find my GS stuff, though.
Post a Comment