Decoding the diary of my younger, introverted self National Edition

• Published in: National post (Toronto)
• Main Author: Tanner, Barbara Guenevere
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: Don Mills, Ont Postmedia Network Inc 14.02.2000
• Subjects: Diaries
• ISSN: 1486-8008

Here and there a more interesting, if cryptic, entry appears. "Sister taught us some things about stars." "My two front teeth are decaying." "The girl I slapped at the picnic got even." "I'm not giving up candy for Lent." All recorded without emotion or explanation. Whenever I did something stupid, like losing my signet ring or forgetting to advance the film in my new box camera, the only sign of the anxiety I felt is found in the words that invariably follow such mishaps: "Daddy doesn't know." It's interesting that the parent who was least involved in my life got the most mention. Every few days he appears on the page: "It's snowing awfully hard and I don't know if Daddy will be able to get home tonight" or "Daddy had to go away, but he is back now" and "We stayed up 'til twelve-thirty, waiting for Daddy with the funnies." My mother got mentioned only if she was sick or celebrated a birthday, neither of which happened very often.