MY PERSONAL TIME CAPSULE


At least once a week, I have dinner with my mother. Although I communicate with Mom every day, our dinners are a special highlight of my week. She and I have always been exceptionally close, and we have always seemed to share a common view of the world. I look forward to our weekly dinners as a special time to share our views on the news of the day, to discuss our common feelings, and sometimes, to reflect upon old times.

Tonight when I arrived at Mom's house, she had a special treat in store for me. She recently found an essay that I wrote when I was eight-years-old, and there it was on the table, ready for my review as I came in.

It is difficult to describe the feelings that I had as I read my thoughts and feelings expressed so long ago. The essay is largely about my sister, Christy, and the high regard that I had for her at the time. I'm pleased to say that I still feel the same way about her, and it warms my heart to know that I regarded her so fondly when we lived in the same home some thirty-seven years ago. As you read this brief essay, keep in mind that Christy celebrated her 50th birthday last year. She went on to become the mother of four beautiful children, all of whom are now adults living in Floyd County.

In the second portion of the essay, I discuss my dreams and plans for the future. It is quite amusing to read my views, and the naive way that I expressed them while I must have been a second or third-grader at Galena Elementary School.

Curiously, I chose to write the original essay in all capital letters. The following is a re-print of my essay, including all of my juvenile misspellings and punctuation errors. I hope that you enjoy it:


MY SISTER IS A VERY NICE GIRL BUT SHE HAS HER MASTAKES. AND EVERY ONE IS INTITELD TO THERE MASTAKES. AND SHE IS A VERY SMART GIRL. SHE SINGS VERY GOOD. SHE IS ALMOST FIFTEEN AND SHE HAS BROWN EYES, HER HITE IS FIVE FOOT 3 AND A HALF, SHE HAS SHORT BLACK-BROWN HAIR . SHE HAS THERE BROTHERS. TWO STEP BROTHERS AND ONE HALF BROTHER. SHE HAS NO SISTERS. AND SHE PLANS TO GET MARRIED.

SHE PLANS TO HAVE NO CHILDREN. SHE HAS HAD FOUR BOY FRIENDS IN THREE YEARS. THE FIRST THERE WAS KEVEN SHE DID'T GO WITH HIM VERY LONG. THEN SHE WENT STEDY WITH "T." SHE WENT WITH HIM THREE MUNTHS, THEN THERE WAS PAT SHE WENT STEDY WITH HIM FIVE MONTHS AND A HALF. NOW SHE IS GOING WITH DICK.

WHEN SHE GETS BIGGER SHE PLANS TO TAKE A TRIP AROUND THE WORLD. SHE PLANS TO TRY TO COME MISS U.S.A. AND SINCE SHE IS SO BEAUTFUL SHE WILL PROPOBABLEE MAKE IT. I DONT THINK NO ONE IS MORE BEAUTFULL THAN MY SISTER. NOT EVEN MY GIRLFREIND.

SHE LIVES ON BORDEN ROAD IN CASE YOU WANT TO KNOW. AND SHE GO'S TO FLOIED CENTERL HIGH SCHOOL AND I BET SHE IS THE MOST BEAUTFULL GIRL THAT GO'S THERE. AND THE SMARTST TO. SHE LOOKS BEAUTFULL BOTH WAYS, WITH SHORT HAIR, OR LONG HAIR. SHE WOLD STILL LOOK BEAUTFULL IF SHE GREW A MUSTASH, AND A BEARD, AND LONG SIDE BURNS, AND WORE COOKIE GLASSES. AND THAT IS CHRIS HALL.

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WHEN I GET BIGGER I AM GOING TO DATE TO SEE WHAT KIND OF GIRL I LIKE . THEN WHEN I GET BIGGER THAN THAT I WILL GET MARRED. MEN USULUIE MARRIE THIER WIFES FOR TWO RESIONS. THEY LOVE THEM, AND THE WIFE REMINDS THE MAN OF HIS MOTHER.

AND IF MY WIFE IS LIKE MY MOTHER I'LL NEVER GET TO BE AN ASTORNOT. I HOPE TO HAVE THERE CHILDREN. IF I AM NOT AN ASTORNOT I PLAN TO BE A LAUAR.

IF I GET MARRIED AND GET A DEVORSE I WILL NEVER MARRIE AGEN. I THINK IF I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR ONE WOMAN I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR ANY. ALTHO SOME WEMON ARE A LITTLE CHOOSY. BUT I DO PLAN TO MARRY A WOMAN I LOVE.

WHEN I GET A HOUSE AND IF I GET DEVORST I WILL TAKE UP BASEBALL AND I WILL PLAY AS HARD AS I CAN AND IF I AM PLAYING FOR THE REDS I PLAN TO WORK MY WAY UP. THEN WHEN I GET FOURTY AND I GET OUT OF BASEBALL I PLAN TO BE A SALESMAN. THEN WHEN I RETIER I PLAN TO LIVE WITH MY MOTHER AND FATHER. THEN I WILL READ MANY, MANY BOOKS, THEN AFTER READING MANY, MANY BOOKS I PLAN TO RITE MANY MANY MANY BOOKS.



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Those were my thoughts and plans as expressed when I was eight-years-old. To a large extent, my views have not changed. Fortunately, although I am now over forty, I have not yet found it necessary to retire and to move in with my mother or father. While it is true that I never became an astronaut or a salesman, I am, in fact, now a lawyer. And while I never played for the Reds, I do still think that my sister is beautiful. And I still think that she's a pretty good singer too.