The Old Popcorn Tin

Today, I cleaned our bedroom and found an old popcorn tin that Erin once gave me. It was filled with all sorts of memorabilia.


I Had a great time going through an old tub of stuff from my elementary and high school days. I decided that I:
a) Had some really cruel friends. Seriously who writes "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, You remind me of Steve Urkel."    Oh wait...that looks like my brother's writing.....
b) Had some really awesome friends.
c) Was way too willing to please them all. I came across a note saying "Thanks for doing my piano theory for me Rainman" Wow. I did homework for people AND accepted my Rainman nickname. This makes me disgusted and giggly at the same time.

At the time, I didn't even know who Rainman was. And quite frankly, I have never met Tom Cruise.

Among the many girlie notes, birthday cards and diaries that I had saved, I found another little piece of my life that I need to make sure I never forget. I had some fantastic friends. In a small town we often become friends with those we are forced to go to school with. This was the case with many of the girls, but not all of them. I had friends that I let write IN my diary. Ones I had secret codes with and ones that I invented new words with. Ones that never forget to send me a birthday card even today. Ones that I danced with, laughed with, sang with, played piano with, played baseball with, stayed up all night long with, got into trouble with and learned a lifetime worth of knowledge with.  I got to thinking today that I must have been quite the young lady to be nick named Rainman. I am so thankful that a handful of people gave me a chance and became lifelong friends.

But I secretly hope I had that nickname simply because Rain Man sounds like Ray Gun.

So thank you to my childhood friends. I am so lucky to still have you in my life. Lindsey with her homemade cards, Auntie Erin with her loyalty and unfaltering faith in me, and KKNT who shares enough of my secrets to someday blackmail me. Opening my tub from the past provided me with many fond memories and laughs today. I was even more pleased to share these memories with my own kids.

Other Note-Worthy Finds:
- The "BuckMaster" Special Edition magazine that I made for Steve in our early dating days.
-  A birthday card from my youngest brother with a picture of a Porche inside and his 9 year old handwriting "Imagine how shocked everyone will be that I was the one to get you a car."
- 3 different calendars. Today in 1998 I had piano lessons and there was a Remembrance Day service at school.
- My Grandparents' Obituary cards.
- An old teen magazine with a boy band on the front that I couldn't even identify.