When I Was 17

Dear Loyal Reader,

Below is a blog, originally written last May for Live Journal, a blog-hosting Web site I decided not to use. I still plan pretty much the same concept here. However, since then, I’ve created Fidler Freelancing on Facebook and Fidler Forum on Blogspot. (You can still find me on Twitter@stuckinthe70s with comments a little more “off the cuff.” The site stuckinthe70s.com is undergoing a rebirth.)

 I’m currently also writing for three different publications. Therefore, this Blogger site will be where I put everything, including recent articles written for those publications: University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Three Rivers Edition and Eye On Independence magazine. I’m proud to be a part of all three! If you have any questions, comments, criticisms or ideas for a great story, please let me know on this blog. Thanks for your support. -- Julie M. Fidler, 18:11 3.9.11)

When I was 17 and my mom was the age I am now, she didn't seem very cool to me. When I was 13, she was still half-way cool. I consented to wear the matching, elastic-waisted, red, white and blue-striped flares at that point. I don't know why things changed or exactly when.

I'm sure it had something to do with boys, hormones, peer pressure, boys, getting my own car and boys. My diary entries took a drastic turn toward the “dark side” in late 1979 as I approached my 17th birthday.

I had been a sickly kid. At 13, I was diagnosed with a goiter (Learn about it here.). Mom and Dad pampered and spoiled me, thinking they were going to lose me. Earlier, when I was 3 or 4, I had a tumor removed from my right knee … in the doctor’s office without anesthesia. Sucked. Still remember it.

Finally, a month before my 18th birthday, I had 90 percent of my thyroid removed, which led to more spoiling. Anyway, I became pretty rotten for a couple of decades, and I wouldn’t really want to share most of those diaries with anyone. Live and learn, right?

So, what I am proposing to doing here at Live Journal is this: Define exactly what my generation is

So, stay tuned faithful reader for a new decade with Stuck in the ’70s.

Stay cool,
Julie

(Written May 3, 2010 near Mother’s Day)