–and for good reason. Below are actual excerpts from the fifth-grade diary of a writer who, for the purposes of this blog, shall remain nameless. No animals were harmed in the transcription of these entries, and, despite the fact that the writer really, really wanted to revise many of them, not a single word has been changed.
May 13
Today I had my piano lesson. Everyone says I do beautifully. I think I do terribly.
May 14
Tomorrow is my New York trip. I can’t wait. I’m so excited about it.
May 15
It was one of the most marvelous days of my whole life. It was just great.
May 16
Today was my boring Dress Revue.
May 17
Today we had Mr. Tibbetts and his wife up for dinner. The dessert was dreamy.
May 18
Next Monday we are going to change seating arrangements. I hope I get with you know who.
May 21
Today I had my piano lesson. I played baseball + made 2 runs.
May 22
We had gym today. I asked Mr. Roberts about my spelling prize and all he said was, “Moving Up Day.” I can’t wait.
May 23
We went to Granny’s as usual. We had clam chowder. The way Granny makes it it’s delicious! Yum!
May 24
I got into a group with ____!!! YAY!!!!!!!!
May 26
_____ hated our group so he moved out. I almost cried.
May 27
Today I had my piano lesson. Our school is holding a track meet.
May 28
Today is the end of Religious Ed. I didn’t even go to it anyways.
May 31
In 4.H. I am making a wastebasket. It’s real pretty. (I guess.)
June 4
Today was our track meet. Holland Patent won again. !!!!YIPPEE!!!!
June 5
I bought a $.50 milk chocolate candy bar. I love candy. I might get fat.
June 9
Wednesday! To me Wednesday sounds like it’s all blue! That probably sounds weird!
Alison McGhee 
Did the writer ever get to sit by you know who?
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Joe, the writer refers you to the May 26 entry, above. Very sadly, she did get to sit by you know who, but you know who was not nearly as enchanted by her as she was enchanted by him, so he requested and was granted a change of seating. INSERT SAD FACE HERE.
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I wasn’t sure if that was the same seating arrangement or not. Poor, poor writer!
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This brings back my so many of my own memories of 5th (& 6th) grade. And lucky seating arrangements. And how I loved the idea of keeping a diary, but was able to keep one myself for about five days, tops.
Did the spelling prize work out better than sitting with ______?
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This made me smile and laugh so hard! i love it.
it also made me want to go back and read my Hello Kitty diary from 4th/5th grade.
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Oh this made me smile! Took me right back to keeping my own diaries at that age. Heaven knows where they are now.
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Amusing.
So frustrating to look back at–where are the juicy details?
Yet the essentials are there, very pure.
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There are very few juicy details in these scintillating entries, my friends. The diary itself is a fat little five-year blue thing. Five lines per day, five days per page, five years total. I managed to keep it for part of the first year before quitting, never to diary again except for a few maudlin entries my freshman year in college. Just as well.
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Although I would like to see that “pretty” wastebasket. (I admire my own fifth-grade dubiousness.)
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I love the last one – It’s all blue! – it made me think of your blog several months (or longer) ago about how each day of the week was a different color. Related or no?
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ali catt, isn’t that the weirdest thing? Yes, Wednesday is all blue to me, bright blue. The two posts –the one about being a synesthete (a word I learned from commenters on the previous post)– were completely unrelated, so seeing that entry in my fifth-grade diary was kind of stunning.
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