I really am almost troubled to admit this, but I used to collect stickers, apparently. I don’t remember any of this, thankfully, but I know it happened because I have the book to prove it.

Scary, I know. But not nearly as scary as what’s inside. Notice the rainbow flag that runs through the length of the book, ending in a big star. Who needs to come out of the closet when you’ve got one of these books in your backpack?

Remember all those crazy entries from my childhood journal?

Here’s the journal cover…I have no idea why I seemed to be fascinated with the swastika symbol, or the strange toothy-mouthed creatures.

This is the final entry in my journal from 1986. I assume it ended when the school year ended, and my teacher in 1987 did not require it any more. If you would like to review all posts in the series you can view the childhood journal category.

I am an identical twin. My brother goes to Martin! He looks almost exactly like me! He doesn’t have a big mole on the side of his face though! He is a very nice person! His name is Stephen Buckmaster!

When I get home from school, he is not home yet. So I must wait for him. We sleep in a room with bunk beds! We are members of Weswyn Swim Club! He and I like to swim a lot! He did not want to go to Ligon because our friends told him it was bad here. I am 3 min. older than he is. My birthday is 2:09 and his is 2:12!

Journal officially ended on June 5, 1986.

It appears as though the next part of my childhood journal was just random scribblings, so I will try to recreate some of those here.

I have a little apple core,
that I’ll sell to you!
It only costs 1 penny,
and that is cheap for you!
If you really want it,
I’ll pass it all to you,
I have a little apple core,
only just for you.

I like to work on my computer!

Computers are very fun to play with!

Garfield is a very funny cartoon character. Garfield!

NxN = 0
I don’t know how, it just does.

X+Y = L
or is it than LxN = Z
I can’t remember if it’s pie = rl or pie = 3×3x3 or maybe pie = 2xr
It’s hard to remember all those formulas and equations. Like
1+1 = 3 or is it 2 and 3+1 = 7 or is it 34.

I also know many other parts of speech but if I were to list all the ones I know it would fill up 20 pages.

I seem to have written two little stories on May 21, 1986. They are presented here unedited. (Apparently I received a Check-Minus, for this work)
Untitled

I once went to the store to by bread. I gave the clerk $3 in pure American Money. I got whole wheat bread because thats what I was told to get. there was a very dirty piece of bread on the floor. I decided that I would pick it up. The manager scolded me because he said he was feeding, Sam, his pet cockroach. I thought that was very stupid, so I stuck out my tongue to him so he got mad. I ran out of the store and went into the woods behind the store.

An old black man was back there, smoking an ivory pipe. I saw him throw a match on the dry leaves. It ignited, and the forest went up in smoke. I heard the man scream, a gurgling scream as if he was chocking. The firemen soon came and the blaze was out. After all the people and firement left, I walked over to where the man was sitting. On the burnt ground sat his burnt Ivory pipe. I took it with me to my home and I put it in my treasure box. The next day I got out the pipe. The end that was to be blown into was loose. I unscrewed it and took out a small piece of paper. It was a check for 1,000 dollars, and it was made out to my mother. Did that man know my mom? didn’t the fire men see the ashes of the man?

Did the man know about the money? These were questions I wanted an answer to. I began a study of the check and how long ago it could have been that it was writen. I also noticed that the signature looked like this [I seem to have scribbled something next which appears to be: Albert Marklele, but I can't really tell], it was very sloppy and seemed like it had been written in a situation that he was being pushed to do it. I went home and showed my mom the check. She was very overly-excited. She said she had been waiting for it for years, and that now she could go to Amblow, but I don’t know where or what that is, so you’ll have to excuse me for not explaining further.

The End - a boring role playing game

You are in a time capsule, spinning through time. Back to a century unknown to many. You are going to the time of King Tut’s mummification. You will be given the identity of the Pharo’s son Zarbeelon. First thing you see when you get out of your capsule is the gate way to the Valley of the Kings. Wondering what it is, you walk towards it when you feel a hand hit your back. Spinning around you discover it is only your imagination and it is only the hot sun making you drowsy. Suddenly a sand storm blows up and knocks you to the ground. You fall asleep soon and your body feels numb. When you awake, you find yourself in a large room, that looks like a dungeon. A door as big as an oak tree is on the east wall. Walking toward the door you have a heart attack and die!

Bye-Bye

Macabre huh? No idea what the heck I was thinking.

GT\AG - 1986 (some time in Jan/Feb/March)

I think that being in a GT team, builds character in a person. It makes people feel good that they get special classes that only they can take. GT students are in an advanced grouping. Of course if you’re in a GT class you will probably have more assignments. Over all, I thing GT/AG groups are great. Exept for some of the people in them.

Being in an AG team is a true challenge and shows kids that they need to grow up to assume all of the AG responsibilities.

Interesting…I have no idea what the AG responsibilities are that kids need to assume when they grow up…and I’m not sure why I crossed out part of it…and I’m not sure why I felt the need to write about being in an AG program, but there you have it. FYI: GT = Gifted & Talented ; AG = Academically Gifted.

I think in California they call this program “GATE“, which I assume stands for Gifted And Talented Education. Personally, I think all children are gifted and talented in a number of ways. Academically gifted, perhaps not everyone falls into that category. But honestly, I think if children are given the proper environment to learn and grow, especially a creative environment (think Montessori), anyone can be GT/AG/GATE.