Dear Diary,

I have so much to tell you! I can’t believe it’s been days since I’ve written, but those days have been a mix of crazy fun and feeling like a young girl again, you know, waaay back when it was just you, me and Holly Hobbie.

Friday, two girlfriends and I went to Denver to see a play called “Girl’s Only”, the kind of play that made my cheeks hurt from laughing so hard. You would have loved it!! Two very funny and creative women found their diaries from childhood and wrote a play all about the amusement of growing up woman. They read from their real, personal diaries and highlighted moments that you and I would remember so well, moments that defined childhood with all the hilarity, wonderment and confusion we experienced through crushes on boys, our changing bodies, and the love and disconnect we had with parents. By the way, we also learned several other uses for tampons besides, well, you know. Think cat toy and holiday tree ornament ;).

After the play, we went to our hotel’s restaurant and pigged out on chips, salsa and guacamole. One of my girlfriends almost choked to death on a tortilla chip but thank goodness she didn’t. That would have been a terrible one to explain to her husband and a horrible end to our weekend. Our hotel was a super cute, boutique hotel decorated with cartoons and pop-culture accents. Every floor had a name and ours was called the Big Hair Floor and lined with heavy metal band posters on the walls. Definitely appropro since we all grew up in the 80’s which was all about big hair. Remember Aquanet? Also, can you believe our room number was 911? EEK! I didn’t like that coincidence too much. Oh and we found this sign in the lobby, too:

Cool right?

So I can’t remember if I told you but marijuana is legal in Colorado now. Yep, really. So now retail stores are popping up all over Denver and anyone can go in and shop. I KNOW it’s crazy! So, the next day my girlfriends and I were feeling adventurous and dangerous at the same time (or at least I was feeling this way) so we decided to visit one. I am so glad I was with my girlfriends for this. It is beyond surreal to walk into one of these shops knowing this stuff was illegal only a few months before and is still illegal in 48 other states. Non-drug induced and quite useless paranoia had set in as I looked for government-placed hidden cameras in the corners of drywall. I didn’t see any. What a subdued and very potent scene Diary, and let me tell you (insert sarcasm) we didn’t stick out at all as three mothers with big purses on our shoulders. One of my girlfriends reminded us so poignantly, “We are in the midst of historical change.”.

Oh Diary, in one weekend I was in a time capsule being transported to childhood, feeling like a kid again when my whole world was once being boggled by boys, worrying about school grades and friendships, and staying away from the wrong sort that took drugs. Then the next day, as abruptly as my youth arrived, I was in a place, time and space where change had never felt more evident, when “there’s no going back” is a truth that leaves a mark no matter how much pink, anti-aging facial cream I use. It’s all so overwhelming. I think I’m beginning to know how Grandma feels, how schizophrenic and mutational this life can be. From adolescence and big hair to 9-11 and legal marijuana. I swear if it weren’t for you Diary, my head would have exploded into bits by now.

Thanks, as always, for listening…

xoxo

MJ

Uncategorized childhood Denver girlfriends journaling