Dear Diary

I always advise young people who want to write to keep a journal. I had one once and just located it as we continue to curate our stuff. Pictured below, it was given to me in March 1968 by my sister after she received it at a friend's Sweet Sixteen. The 13 year-old me made exactly one entry and that was it, the end of my diary writing (which is probably a good thing because three days later the world was going to get even crazier with the horrific assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.). But the best part is what my 12 year-old daughter wrote in it thirty years later that I’m only seeing now.

April 1, 1968 Dear Diary, it was a rain to shine day. Got 86 on Lit Test. I almost won $5.50 on WMCA April Fool’s contest. I played baseball. We got clobbered 20-10. I’m gonna start playin’ hardball from now on. Look out world. I’m not really nervous about my upcoming bar mitzvah. It should be pretty good. Peter

P.S We’ve just stoppped the bombing & President Johnson announced he won’t run again.

May 9, 1998 Hi Dad, this is your DAUGHTER JULIA. I repeat, Julia. Now now don’t be frightened. It is now 1998. You are 43 YEARS OLD. You had A NICE BAR-MITZVAH AND WENT TO CORNELL & HARVARD. A great many things have been invented since you wrote in this diary. (By the way, why didn’t you write in it more? You’re obviously not much of a diarist, even though you are now a WRITER. Yes, a WRITER and a LAWYER.) Cellular phones, MTV, computers. The inventions are endless. Okay, you married a beautiful smart woman currently in the college business (professor). Her name is JANET. She gave birth to me, 12 years old now, and GREGORY, 8. Yes, we are YOUR BABIES. I hope this is not too overwhelming, DAD, but I felt the need to inform you. Bye-bye now, Your Daughter JULIA