Upon realizing what was actually in this box, I found myself just saying, "OMG!" over and over and over again. These notebooks (and decoupaged popcorn tin with Ben Covington pictures?) contain the most embarrassing and now somewhat amusing things I've ever written (but mostly embarrassing to be clear). I was mostly surprised to find that I have been moving poems I wrote about my high school crush and my unrequited love for him for the last 15 years.
Most of what was here got shredded. I don't remember where, but I once heard that rather than keep this kind of stuff you should shred it to ensure people don't just stumble upon it. So, tonight, while I took the awkward stroll down memory lane, I also kissed this stuff goodbye. I kept a few miscellaneous pieces that wouldn't be so terrible to revisit and two journals chronicling my *NSYNC adventures (no shame there), but everything else met a fate in the cross-cut shredder.
Also, if you were friends with me from the ages of 15 - 25, thank you for putting up with me. If this stuff is any indication of what I was like to deal with, I owe you for seeing that I had redeeming qualities that outweighed the emotional mess that was my love life.
