Note to Self-ie

We talk a lot about selfies these days, and how having so much emphasis on how we look is detrimental, especially to young girls. I agree, but I must admit it's fun to turn on my phone and discover funny selfies Margaret has taken, which I DARE NOT post here. She's 12. I'm learning, learning, learning.

I was thinking back to my middle school and high school years-- you know in the days before a "tween" was a thing-- and even though we didn't have the means to take many pictures, we still managed to capture the ugh and angst of those years pretty well.

For us it began in the photo booth.

Not the cute, 5 in a row black and white photos so popular at weddings and bat mitzvahs these days. It was a Polaroid booth inside Woolworths at the mall. As in, "Have your mom drop you off and meet me at the photo booth!" You would squeeze in with one, maybe 2 of your best friends of the week, hold really still, and hope that your fluffy, center-parted hair would make it in to the picture, but the zit on your chin would not.

When we made it to high school, the Polaroid booth morphed into our own cameras, usually of the lousy Disc variety-- a short-lived experiment by Kodak that made everything look grainy, as if it were taken through cheesecloth or a window screen, long before Instagram would introduce a generation to cool filter effects.

The REALLY, REALLY good news: "sharing" our photos mean ordering doubles. At worst, one or two people would have access to a bad or embarrassing photo. A shoe box under the bed or a sticky "magnetic album" provided a level of privacy that is a foreign concept to us today. Worst case scenario was that you might wear a jaunty Liz Claiborne felt hat to school in 8th grade and it would make its way into the yearbook.  Not that I'd know anything about that.

Maybe you passed around your summer beach pics in the cafeteria once school started, showing off your baby oil tan. I'm still peeved that an ex boyfriend kept my little plastic keychain photo from Ocean City, the kind you'd look through to see the photo illuminated at the end, because now there is no proof that I ever looked decent in a bikini, even if it was for 45 fleeting seconds in 1987.

Even though my best friend Lisa and I couldn't snap with abandon like kids do these days, because we had to buy our film and pay for developing, we spent quite a few date-less Friday nights taking pictures of each other. We came up with themes and went around  my house looking for clothes that would complement what we consider to be out "artsy" tableaux.

Note the wild and rugged theme here:

I wonder if Lisa still has her banana clip. I have mine.

Or check out the romantic theme here. A teddy bear and pearls really set the stage for romance, don't you think? Gosh, I loved that haircut!

Not sure where I'm going with this trip down memory lane, but I thank The Good Lord that I was born when I was. I think girls have always wanted to pose for the camera and document good times with friends; I'm just glad I'm posting these as a 40-something who can look back on those exhilarating, hard, weird times with a smile rather than (too much of) a cringe.

Party Like it's 1985

Inspired by Ann Imig.

From 15 year old Anna See:

It's almost Christmas and I still have a TON of presents to buy. Thinking perfume for the girls at school. "Beautiful" for Jamie, "Opium" for Lori and "White Shoulders" for Karen. Not sure about "Georgio." Liz wears it and it gets all up in my nose. Barfs me out.

I have Mom's new VISA with MY NAME on it so I am SET. She got if for us when she couldn't stand taking us to the mall one more time. Seriously, I thought she was gonna cry the last time we went together. Or kill us big time.

Not sure how much all of this is going to cost but, hello, I am NOT going to be the only one not giving presents on the last day of school before break. Nobody even pays attention to teachers that day, it's all about the PRESENTS. I don't think Mom and Dad look too close at the bill anyway.

This year is weird friend-wise. I mean for Valentine's I can buy all my friends (guys too!) a carnation in homeroom for a buck a piece and put a nice note on it, but for Christmas I don't want to be all like, I love you-- hug hug hug here's a gift and then make someone feel weird if they don't have one for me. There's always balloon boquets but the last time we went in together and did that for Jodi M's birthday, I don't think the office ladies liked it. A guy in a gorilla suit showed up to deliver them. Weird.

No presents for guys this year. No way. Things are looking up guy-wise since I'm a sophomore now, but who would I give one to ANYWAY? I mean a few guys ARE paying attention to me, which is good FOR A CHANGE, but it's not like I have a boyfriend or anything. I pretty much know I will NEVER, EVER learn how to kiss. I mean at this point it's too late. I should be totally broken in with the kissing thing. But if I try it NOW, it will be totally obvious that I've never done it before, so that really rots.

Too bad I never got invited to a boy/girl party in junior high. Then I wouldn't even have this problem. I know they did spin the bottle AND 7 minutes in Heaven. I kid you not. Of course, that would have totally freaked me out. I mean, what if I ran off crying? I cry about everything and I wish I DIDN'T! That would have been just as bad as when I threw up on Mrs. Compton's desk in the middle of French class in 7th grade. What a popularity-disaster!

Totally know I'm gonna turn out to be a nun, even though I'm not a Catholic. There are a couple Seniors who have been paying attention to me this year. Unbelievable, I know! I guess it's 'cause I'm not as fat this year or maybe it's because I have semi-cool older brother and sister. I don't know. I'll take what I can get. One thing I know: NO KISSING EVER.

I did figure out a great way to flirt a little with these guys. Just walk down Senior Hall like you're going somewhere important. Do this on a day when you are wearing EITHER: long straight black skirt, white blouse, black pumps and long fake pearls OR: Britches Rugby shirt, tight jeans (zip ankle or pegged) and Reebocks. Sweater vest okay, too.

Do NOT make eye contact, but if one of the guys says, "Hi Anna," look surprised. Open eyes wide like you suddenly remember something and say, "Oh my gosh, (put name here) you were in my DREAM last night! Isn't that so weird??!" Give no details and keep walking. Maybe smile ONCE over your shoulder. Not sure why this works, but I'm having good luck with it. This is almost as good as asking a guy to teach you how to drive stick shift on his parents' car.

Okay, so I have NOOO idea of what to get Lisa. I mean she is my BEST, BEST, BEST friend and she has those super long nails and does that thing where they are white underneath the tip and clear-ish on top. I mean, really, what does she want/need? Yikes! I hope she gives me a good hint!

NO ONE gets teachers presents in high school. Only brown-nosers.

I know I won't get anything on MY list anyway. It's not like my parents even care what I ask for. I feel like we are always the last family on earth to get or do anything. Can any of us SKI???? Of course not. You don't learn to ski while visiting your GRANDPARENTS for New Years and banging pots and pans with a spoon at midnight. Other families go on SKI VACATIONS and even fly on a plane to get there. Pisses me off.

Maybe, maybe we'll get a new VHS tape, but who knows? I do want to go by Erols and see if I can buy "It's a Wonderful Life" on Video. None of my friends have heard of it. I've seen it a million times on TV, but I want the rest of the family to get to see it, too! I cry every time, of course.

And this year, I want to stay in town for New Year's. I hear Tommy E. (not our school!) is having a party and I WANT TO BE THERE! Last year I missed it because my mom and I got lost on the way and we had no number to call, and there was no phone booth around anyway, so I spent midnight crying on my bed in the attic thinking about how miserable my life is/was. This year has got to be different!!!!!

There's always a Youth Group party. I LOVE LOVE LOVE having youth group friends AND school friends. It is totally fine not going to the same school as the youth group friends. I mean, each Sunday night it's like a little party with catching up and awesome music and skits that crack me up! I heard that James and Steve are skipping youth group and going to 7-11 to buy sodas, or smoke, or something WORSE. Man oh man. Do I believe it?

One thing I DO believe but am seriously SHOCKED about is what happened in gym class last week. We had a sub and didn't even have to dress out. We just sat on the bleachers in the little gym and talked. Heidi and Marie came in late with Big Gulps. They kept singing this song: "Jose Quervo you are a Friend of Mine" and laughing their heads off. I asked someone what "Jose Quervo" was and they said ALCOHOL. Do you think they had ALCOHOL in the Big Gulps? They were acting so weird the whole time. What if they become big-time druggies?

Well, I gotta go. We have a sock hop Friday night after the basketball game and I have to figure out an outfit. I could where my Forenza sweater Craig gave me for my birthday (yeah, I didn't kiss him, either!!) but the whole outfit has to be something: 1)that can get sweaty 2)that won't ride up/look stupid when we get on the floor to gator during that song "SHOUT."

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!