Grade school: Starting kindergarten, already knowing how to read. Being on Fire Patrol in 5th grade, Safety Patrol in 6th grade. Everyone going to Skateland on Friday nights in 5th & 6th grades. Winning the spelling bees, doing lousy in math, always reading and reading, writing poems & short stories.
Junior high: My friends falling away, turning against me, making faces behind my back in class. Having a crush on a guy for 2.5 years and never having the courage to say "Hi, Tom." My 1st real boyfriend, Tim. My best friend, Barb, in 9th grade. My staunch friend and defender Laurie, who I still miss.
High school: Tim & I broke up, Barb moved away, Laurie & I lost touch (she was 2 years younger). Intense loneliness. In a class of 843, having no one to eat lunch with in the cafeteria and eating it in the bathroom. Visiting Barb & buying my 1st Dylan album, thus beginning my love affair with rock & roll, which has never ended. M6y high school boyfriend--getting engaged my senior year (& getting divorced my senior year of college).

My peak year was 5th grade.Sometimes I wish I were still back there: good friends, great teacher, so many books to discover.