Things I Learned from My Child Self

Things I learned about myself by looking at old journals:

1. On Feb 20, 1993 age "7 in a half" - I noted that this was "not best hand writing" - face it, my handwriting sucks and always has. Time to be honest with myself once and for all.
2. Sometimes wishes come true. Right before my 8th birthday, I said I didn't like my sisters and wished I could make them a lot nicer. Now I like them and they're sometimes a lot nicer.
3. Some fears last forever - I wrote a story in 1st grade about getting eaten by a giant spider and ended with "Spiders all over the universe and that was the end of me." In another story - "The spider saw me and ate me. I was dead." That's freaking deep right there. Also fear of failure, regret, and not living came up a lot.
4. Once a girly girl, always a girly girl. "I like being a girl because you can wear nail polish and cool jackets." It was the early 90's after all.
5. Being left handed sometimes sucks. Report card 1989 "Ellyn's grip is not always correct and she cuts off the line." I was FOUR and those lefty scissors are still the WORST. By the way, I now cut right-handed.
6. I like school, reading, being alone, traveling, and cold weather. I hate school dances.
7. At various points, I wanted to be a doctor, pilot, archeologist, psychologist, writer, artist and politician. But then I majored in film because I wanted to make movies and be all of those things. Now I work in advertising. What the...
8. My New Year's resolution at 17:  perfection
9. Things I want to do in life: write, act, art, teach, lead, write
10. I think I struggle with follow through

"Remember who you are." -Mufasa's Ghost

Found: Bucket List

Goals I set for myself in life 12 years ago before college. I checked off the things I've accomplished...

1. Write for National Geographic
2. Fly over Grand Canyon in glider/ultralight
3. Archaeology
4. Study British Literature - Middle English
5. Learn Latin
6. Go to French theatre
7. Go to play in London 
8. Go to Alaska
9. Windsurfing
10. Surf
11. Write a book and screenplay
12. Direct and produce a film
13. Have a private airplane
14. Skydiving
15. Hot air balloon
16. Study religions through experience
17. Establish a charity
18. Vacation on Mediterranean
19. Have a library

Not listed:
1. Pretty much everything in my current career and life

Current thought:
1. I have a lot of work to do
2. Becoming afraid of heights was not good for my bucket list
3. I may have picked the wrong major

Quote I wrote at 16:
If you don't like where you are and if you are not happy, than either: 1. you are blind to your blessings 2. you neglected to follow a dream and settled for less or 3. you are denying and refusing a crucial lesson

Damn, son 

1. Write Bucket List - Check.

When to Take Your Christmas Tree Down

This year, I was especially angry to see people taking their trees down on December 26th. Maybe it's because I'm still waiting for snow, and still half expecting to wake up in PA on Christmas morning. Or it could be because it's January 4th and I still haven't received all of my Christmas gifts in the mail. Or it could be because I woke up on New Year's Day not able to move my head - with a tweaked shoulder injury thing and I literally can't take the ornaments off the tree yet.

Anyway, I researched it and it's actually bad luck to take your tree down before the 12 days of Christmas and Epiphany are over (so ha!). Sidenote - Google autofilled my search query and asked if I meant "when to take pregnancy test" or "when to take creatine." No, Google. Stop. These days, Epiphany may be celebrated on the Sunday between January 2nd and 8th, so today is probably the first day it's okay to take the tree down without getting a hefty heap of bad luck this year. I might take down my snowmen/tacky ceramic figurines/non-tree Christmas crap today and wait til Tuesday to take the tree down. I seriously don't need any more bad luck this year - I already can't look to the left.

I grew up in a Protestant household, going to church more often than I probably wanted and I never knew the 12 days of Christmas started on Christmas and lasted til the Epiphany on January 6th. I mean - what? The Christmas season doesn't start on Black Friday? We're supposed to get trees on Christmas Eve? We really shouldn't be working til after Epiphany? Tell that to Ebenezer "Corporation" Scrooge. Although come to think of it, January 6th was the day my grandmother always took her tree down. And wait, what's Epiphany again? Oh, when the 3 Wise Men finally made it to visit Jesus in the manger. You mean, they camped out in a barn for two weeks, waiting for these foreign dudes to bring them gold and... herbs used for embalming mummies and in face creams? Something like that.

But your tree is dying and making a mess? How about don't put it up in November next time. Or get a fake one and some pine scented candles. There was also that time when I was in high school that we left the tree up til Valentine's Day and put cut-out, paper hearts on it - according to my scientific research project, that's bad luck too because you're taking the old into the new - bringing your baggage along. You have a small window to get that tree down and out - don't screw it up. 

PS Epiphany is a Christian feast day, so don't forget to make your 3rd turkey in a month. How sick are you of turkey at this point? I'm contemplating going to Mexico for Thanksgiving 2015 and drinking margaritas instead. I don't think I can stomach turkey leftovers ever again and we didn't have turkey on Christmas - I'm just still sick of Thanksgiving turkeys. But really - in England (the Motherland) - Wikipedia tells us to light up the yule log, have mulled cider, fruitcake, and such. After Epiphany, we head into Carnival season - leading up to Mardi Gras. Worlds collide.

I think somewhere along the way, we truly lost the meaning of Christmas. These traditions and meanings are being taken out with the garbage bags of wrapping paper. Truly sad. Is it just like that in America? I feel like traditions aren't as wispy in Europe. Is that true?

Which brings me to my other "issue" - how am I still not living in England? Why did my family have to emigrate? Can we go back to 1701 and tell ol' Pappy to just chill out and enjoy the beautiful countryside and the lovely accents of our people and stay put? Then we wouldn't have to work during the 12 days of Christmas and we'd be enjoying a fruitcake today, planning out our next 6 week vacation. Bah! Humbug.