Journal 7: “What place do you remember fondly from childhood?”
I was lucky enough to grow up in a nice area where kids could be outside late at night unattended and not have to be afraid of anything bad happening. My father would always fall asleep first due to his early in the night drinking, so my two friends and I would leave the house to relax in the warm summer air. We would lay in the middle of the road in front of the house, watching the clouds move by in the hazy sky- lit up significantly by the bright city lights. We could never see any stars so instead we’d watch the moon or wish on it instead as we told stories as well as our heart felt feelings.
The warm Texas summer night mixed with the coolness of the asphalt underneath us was always a calming feeling; the wind blowing over us enough to make us comfortable even in a hoodie. Every once in a while a car would appear and we’d have to jump up from our comfort to scramble to safety- just to have it pass and us return to where we were. We felt so independent and mature, as silly as that sounds, being middle schoolers out at such late hours of the night. How rebellious we were! Laying in the road in front of my house at 12am! We were so hard! Talking about the boys we liked and the girls in our class who made fun of us for being different.
If I could go back in time I’d like to be back in that spot. I’d like to be that young version of myself- comfortable with my friends while looking up at the sky. The biggest concerns in the world being a boy not liking me or my English teacher not liking my latest poem. Not caring if I was weird or different because of my music or my height. Laying carelessly in the road because I felt invincible and rebellious. Not caring about anything except my comfort and my friends.
