Category Archives: Growing Up

before seat belts were legally required

Posted on 2/12/2010 by Alice

I don’t know if my first memory is really a memory or if it’s just a patchwork of things I’ve heard and images I’ve created from remnants of conversations and photos and stories. Most of my childhood memories are faded, … Continue reading →

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we all had childhoods once

Posted on 2/12/2010 by Alice

I think most kids think their childhoods are pretty normal as they’re growing up. We have no frame of reference, so why wouldn’t we think whatever we’re experiencing normal? It takes a while before we start to compare ourselves to … Continue reading →

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countercozen

Posted on 12/31/2009 by Alice

verb. To cheat in return. (OED) My parents had an odd sense of parenting in a number of ways, but none more so than the utter randomness of their strictness. Case in point: When I graduated from high school, I … Continue reading →

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making room for air

Posted on 12/4/2008 by Alice

When I was a kid, I wanted things to mean something. I wanted to remember every holiday, every milestone, believe every myth was true. I wanted to find the ends of rainbows so I could talk to leprechauns and bring … Continue reading →

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learning the difference between empowerment and desperation

Posted on 1/23/2008 by Alice

First, I bit of background about my boyfriend in college, who I’ll call “J” for no reason other than it’s not the first initial of his name. I met J at a party my freshman year. I worked with a … Continue reading →

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eddie and missi

Posted on 12/30/2007 by Alice

The great organization event continues and tonight, I happened upon my box of scrapbooks and yearbooks. I have the usual pictures and ribbons and awards and “ice cream 90 cents” sign from the supreme court cafeteria that we all have. … Continue reading →

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common ground

Posted on 12/2/2007 by Alice

When I was little, and I wanted to crawl into a grown up’s bed in the middle of the night like little kids do, the grown up I picked was my grandma. I remember that she used to tease me … Continue reading →

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counting telephone poles

Posted on 6/24/2007 by Alice

My entire life, the words softly repeated in the back of my mind, sometimes almost unnoticeable, but always there: nothing lasts. So, I counted milestones like you might count telephone poles as you drive down a country road. Nothing lasts. … Continue reading →

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the challenge of tomorrow

Posted on 3/7/2007 by Alice

Childhood is cruel. I don’t mean all the usual ways, although those are cruel too. I mean how everyone tells you that you can do anything you want, and even worse, how you have all this potential — this newly … Continue reading →

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it’s a nice day when you wake up in disneyland

Posted on 2/6/2007 by Alice

When I was little, Disneyland sold tickets for rides and Casey’s train still went around the park. The Indiana Jones ride didn’t exist, and the Haunted Mansion was scary. I remember getting a mug from one of my early trips … Continue reading →

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