Diary of an Angst-Ridden Kid

OK, so I'm taking a risk here. I assure you I have successfully worked through the issues herein that I wrote about 30 years ago. Mostly.

What follows are excerpts from my diary--I mean journal--from my early adolescence. My kids especially enjoy reading this when they need a lift. I thought of typing out some of the choice quotes and leaving it at that, but I decided that you should see my flawless penmanship and nascent talent as an artist in its purist form. I don't know if there is a higher purpose to this, but you can judge if it has any value beyond peeking behind the dark veil that separates adolescents from the rest of us. Here it is:

Yes, I went by my full name back then. Getting a girlfriend was obviously a high priority for me. And, hey, a four-year age difference is nothing when you're in your forties. 

I clearly had an above-average self image.

Of course, my "competitors" apparently looked like a cross between Han Solo and David Hasselhoff.

It's baffling to me that a girl would react adversely to a greasy-haired stalker wearing a Black Sabbath t-shirt. But maybe, just maybe...

Needless to say the old "Do-you-have-a-sister-named-Denise" trick has never worked for me.

So I guess I peaked at 13, and it's all been downhill ever since. Isn't that the way it is for most of us?