Neatest Girl In 8th Grade

Flash Back Friday

So, I was reading this post about her daughter's obsession with clothes over at Big Mama the other day and it got me to thinkin'. You know how obsessed I am with clothes, shoes, earrings and all the accoutrement's which go along with projecting my image as a hot, middle-aged librarian with a poochy tummy that I cleverly conceal by never, ever, under pain of death, tucking anything in. But what you may not realize is that I have always been this way. Always.


One of my fondest memories involves being selected and denoted as such in the junior high year book as the neatest girl in the 8th grade. Now, you might be a little confused about the definition of "neatest" unless you are a baby boomer, like me. Back then, neat did not mean neat as in "You have such a neat desk!" but neat as in cool and groovy. Yes, we actually said groovy back then. And we often said things were neat. I sometimes find myself saying something is neat even now. Not groovy so much, though. That would really date me. I might have had stick legs and bangs in junior high as my husband often reminds me when I find myself getting just a little cocky, but I was dressed to the nines. And that expression dates me so much that I guess I don't have to worry about ever saying groovy again.


I had dozens of little mini skirts and matching sweaters and - here's the important part - my knee socks ALWAYS matched my sweaters. I even remember someone commenting on that one time. "Wow, your knee socks always match your sweaters." Seriously. I'm not making that up. That someone actually said that or that I remember it. I can't remember 99% of my childhood, but I remember someone commenting on my knee socks. And I wore those Mary Jane shoes that everyone was wearing back then. In hindsight, they were incredibly ugly and looked ridiculous on junior high girls, but they were in style, they were cool and groovy and neat and, damn, we had to have them!


So, basically, I was the be-all and end-all of fashion in my junior high. And I was voted accordingly. It's all in my permanent record. I can show you the yearbook if you don't believe me.