August 12
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
August 12, 1997
Up at 9:30. Showered. Me and Ashley chilled ’till Geoff Christman came at 1:00. Then Chris, Zach W., and Ryan came. We took Geoff home and went 2 Chris’s. Didn’t stay long, but we kissed. Me, Mom, and Ashley went 2 mall. Got new clothes! Ate dinner. Went 2 Ashley’s 4 the night. We talked, colored, listened 2 music. Watched “Rolanda.”
Fran M., age 28, Illinois
August 12, 1992
New notebook. I’m sitting in my dad’s car at the airport at 11:15 PM on a “school night,” waiting for M____ to get here from Florida.
Last time I started a new notebook, I felt really nervous. I wondered what was going to happen to me during that time and what kind of pain I would go through. Right now I’m not in such a heavy mood. I do a good job of keeping my life on an even keel and avoiding momentous events, for better and worse. I experienced the most significant event possible when my mom died. Ugh.
I’ve been thinking about that a lot since July, when I was so upset and fought with M____, and also since tonight, when N___ was confiding how strange my dad is. He evidently has been leading a double life. It seems pretty horrible. Hearing about him allows me to see more of our ordeal, or so it seems. I have to write more about it and learn more of how I feel about my dad. I have to learn about him and let it help me access the horror of what I went through. His adult experience may shed light on my more denied, less lucid child version. I can grasp the catastrophe a little more closely when I see it projected onto him. I can sympathize more with him as an adult than with myself as a child.
A city tow truck just slowed up beside the car, not seeing me sitting in it. The driver leered at me and then rumbled off. I wish M____ would get here.
Anna L., age 75, Illinois
August 12, 1960
Did a little of everything and a lot of others in the dining room. Mrs. B. came over after I called her. Later she was to go to Russel’s and would stay at Ruths for weekend. Worked all day in living and dining rooms and some up stairs. Out to cabin. Jim had mowed looked fine. Cats and kittens O.K. Picked up rubbish for garbage men. Always here early.
Marcy S., age 20, Tennessee
August 12, 1944
Pop’s birthday — 51. Mum still heaving the hatchet — I wish she wouldn’t carry things like that over from day to day. Was sailing along fine with my deposition in morn when some old men and women from S. Harriman popped in and there we went on another case!! I had a quick vision of myself typing depositions the rest of the summer. Judge Stone and J. Cassell were present. One old fellow, toothless, barely spoke above a whisper and that at a dreadful rate. I had to run to keep up and Mr. H. had to keep slowing him down. Finished about 11:15 and Judge Stone gave me $5, asking if that would be sufficient. I didn’t know but said I’d ask Mr. H. One of the women seemed to think it was too much — she has to pay the costs, of course. Well, we left it like that. Mr. H. said I could go. He was in conference and forgot my check. I went to the Acme and got a cute card for Pop. Then went up by Kim’s to see if she were going tomorrow and found her talking to Mary on the ’phone. She turned it over to me and Mary and I discussed the picnic. It looked like rain but we were keeping our fingers crossed. Kim’s going tomorrow so I left in high spirits. Mum was thawing out and by dinner all was hunky-dory. Kim called to invite me to go to the carnival again with she and Mary but I had too much to do and had had enough carnival. I called Mary about the watermelon. Right after dinner I read my deposition notes. Jeepers! what a mess! Ironed and then sat in my bedroom and read some sermons that the Episcopal laymen use. Mary phoned Mum and they made plans in case of rain. It was starting to clear, though. Ashley was next door — I heard him talking over the ’phone once. I had a feeling that he was going away again. And presently he went out and sat on the front steps and I heard him put a heavy suitcase down. My heart hit a new low. Mum was out sweeping the sidewalk and I went to the front door and spoke a few words to her. Ashley cleared his throat. I had planned to bring Alice Ann down for awhile but it was nearly 4:30 then and so too late. I then got the book and sat out on the porch. Obvious, wasn’t it? Well, presently a car full of men drove up in front of Clure’s and Ashley went out and put his suitcase in the back. I gathered from what he said that he’d be gone 2 weeks. He sort of looked over once. Well, when the car drove away, I just sat there and contemplated on the general state of affairs — with a very dark outlook on the moment. I suppose I’m a completely hopeless case. I took a firm hold and went in to bath tub, where I drowned my sorrows. Mum was putting up our part of the lunch. A little after 5 I departed. It was clearing! Went to library and got another Wodehouse book. On up to dentist’s to find an office full. Somehow Wodehouse didn’t strike a responsive chord. About 6:30 the Dr. took me and put a permanent filling in the cavity. I’m to call him Monday for another appointment. As I was steering for the door Nancy Wallace hailed me with “Hi, Pat, how are you?” I reproached her, “A fine thing to ask a person who has just come out of the dentist’s office!” The sky was lovely again and I walked up to Mary’s apartment. Horace greeted me very affectionately! :) Mum and Pop had not arrived yet but soon Mum called to say they’d be right down. When they did arrive I went in the bathroom and changed into my shorts. Mary brought out a bra that was too large for her and it fitted me perfectly so I put it on. There goes $1.50 but it pays to buy good bras. Pop and Horace transferred various and sundry things from our car to theirs and about 7:15 we all piled in and started out to Swan Pond. Lovely drive. I sat up front with Mary and Horace. We drove out to where we went swimming Sunday and on out to a point of land that juts out in the water. There were some people already there but we went out to the very point and enjoyed comparative privacy. Spread out the picnic and proceeded to devour same. It was so lovely — banky, peach-tinted clouds, the reflection of the hills in the water and a great quiet. I tried to be happy but something was missing. Horace was funny and we all had a good time. Some men came in with a boat and proceeded to place an ingenious pair of wheels beneath it and roll it onto dry land. Horace knew one of the men — he looked rather like Ashley. Soon after Horace found a good-sized fish, still alive, at the edge of the lake and took it over to the men. It was almost dark by the time we finished. Horace did a neat job of backing out to the main road. We drove up by the house where the man who has the boats lived and got out all ready for a spin on the lake. But the man wasn’t home and his wife didn’t know which boat didn’t leak so we decided we’d better not risk it since it was dark. Had fun driving back. We stopped at the apartment. Mary cut some cheese for Mum and we all had some good spring water. Then we sat in the living room and talked. Horace and I on the love seat — tut, tut! And he waxed very affectionate once!! He’s so funny. He and Pop know a lot of people up at Jamestown and they reminisced. Mary wanted to have a game of Budgedegar but it was getting late and Pop had to prepare his “sermon” for tomorrow so about 10 we said “night” and departed. The stars were shining brightly. Mary and Kimmie didn’t go to the carnival this afternoon because it looked like rain. To bed about 11. Fun looking forward to tomorrow. Oh! I hope it doesn’t rain! If I weren’t so consumed with curiosity, I wouldn’t know that Ashley was gone and I’d still be happy!
Henry S., age 25, Michigan
August 12, 1887
Irvie went canvassing this morning again. I went over to the Court House this morning and secured a little of a new ink. Stopped at Neill’s and got some apples. Mrs. Neill gave us a can of syrup. I went with and worked on the road laying plank on the cedar creek hill. I got pretty tired, but Irvie and Kate persuaded me to go to a social tonight at the Cong. church. Irvie and I went. The cream was not extra.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Cornelia H., age 25, North Carolina
August 12, 1862
I sewed some on Jinnie’s dress. Very warm, needing rain badly. The garden looks as if it would parch up. The cucumber vines are doing but little good & the forward beans & potatoes are out.
*(Fear in North Carolina: The Civil War Journals and Letters of the Henry Family, Eds. Karen L. Clinard and Richard Russell, used with permission.)
Samuel P., age 35, London
August 12, 1668
Up, and all the morning busy at my office. Thence to the Excise Office, and so to the Temple to take counsel about Major Nicholls’s business for the King. So to several places about business, and among others to Drumbleby’s about the mouths for my paper tubes, and so to the ’Change and home. Met Captain Cocke, who tells me that he hears for certain the Duke of York will lose the authority of an Admiral, and be governed by a Committee: and all our Office changed; only they are in dispute whether I shall continue or no, which puts new thoughts in me, but I know not whether to be glad or sorry. Home to dinner, where Pelling dines with us, and brings some partridges, which is very good meat; and, after dinner, I, and wife, and Mercer, and Deb., to the Duke of York’s house, and saw “Mackbeth,” to our great content, and then home, where the women went to the making of my tubes, and I to the office, and then come Mrs. Turner and her husband to advise about their son, the Chaplain, who is turned out of his ship, a sorrow to them, which I am troubled for, and do give them the best advice I can, and so they gone we to bed.
*(The Diary of Samuel Pepys M.A. F.R.S., edited by Henry B. Wheatley F.S.A., London, George Bell & Sons York St. Covent Garden, Cambridge Deighton Bell & Co., 1893.)