March 8
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
March 8, 1998
Worked from 6:30-1:00. Went 2 Wendy & Eric’s new house. Rachel was there. Ate & watched basketball game. Went 2 Eddie’s & worked on his computer. Up ’til 11:00 4 homework.
Laura M., age 14, North Carolina
March 8, 1997
Up at 11. Talked to Courtney. :) Played softball with Dad. Did math homework. Went to Kan-ki with Rogers. Came home and watched TV.
Marcy S., age 48, North Carolina
March 8, 1973
Love is the answer — “love lifted me.” Let go and love — especially Harold. This is all that will save me from a breakdown. This came last night at bridge club, I think, after parish supper where I felt so out of it, esp. seeing members of the choir — guilt that I hadn’t told Nettie I wouldn’t be there Sun. — and the stupid things I said to Tom, our new organist, last week at choir practice. I had that awful panicky feeling again — wanting to run away (where?) and hide (how?) and just not be anymore. Yet I don’t want to die — I want to live!! And the only way it finally came through to me: is to love, without reservation — just let go and love.
Last night with Harold I did — for the first time in many months, even though he’d been drinking enough to turn me off ordinarily. It didn’t matter — he needed love and I needed to give love — and it was very good.
This morning I got all uptight trying to summon courage to call Norma Brown and tell her we were happy about Sandra and Mark’s approaching marriage — probably because we’re really not too happy, although we like Sandra. It still doesn’t seem real — I “should” have called her last week, right after Sandra and Mark told them (we knew 3 weeks before that) but was too timid. Putting it off has just made it harder.
I worked myself up to tears and decided to wait and call tonight — then I remembered choir practice and started getting uptight about that. Suddenly I thought — I can’t go tonight if I don’t tell somebody how I feel — Julia knows but I need to tell someone else — someone who threatens me because she is so outgoing and self-confident. Meade Horne. Right across the back fence. So I called her, in tears, and tried to tell her my feelings — she said she was feeling very low, too, and invited me over for a cup of coffee. I couldn’t believe what I had done — because I don’t know her well enough to let down my defenses. But praise the Lord I did! She confessed that she is also a shy, reserved person who has to force herself to get involved — and that her husband, Wright, who is the greatest clown, is actually extremely shy!
Anna L., age 75, Illinois
March 8, 1960
Up quite early and took clothes down. Later washed my bedroom rugs and yellow one. Thot of going to Elgin but weather predictions not good but could have made it.
Marcy S., age 19, Missouri
March 8, 1944
Bright but awfully cold. Up at 6 and finished paper. To conference group at 9 - only 5 of us. Of course, Mr. Miller had to ask me to read my paper. We discussed it. Whew! was I glad when that was over. After class I made an appointment to see him Friday about writing. At 10 went to town and bought 49-cent copy of Jane Eyre. Nearly froze. Short voice lesson at 10:45. Miss Blenko said I must have been doing a lot of practicing and here I hadn’t done any!! Gym at 11. Read Jane Eyre. At 3 Betty and I went down to Red Cross and rolled bandages til 4. Took out dinner permission. Practiced til 5:30. Then read book til 7 at which time I went to Miss Good Smith’s recital and played 2nd movement of Beethoven’s Sonata Op. 31 No. 3. Everyone played so well. Over at 8:30. Read until bedtime. Best book! Expected stop day tomorrow but nothing happened!
Marcy S., age 16, Tennessee
March 8, 1941
Sleety, snowy, rainy, coldy. Good music lesson at 9:30. Before getting up I lay in bed and dreaded the dull day that stretched before me. I wished that I could sleep through it. But when I got up, I was in a better humor and felt fine all day. Practiced one hour before dinner. Nearly drove Mother crazy. Lunch. Dad home all afternoon. I read in Lit. & Life and at night practiced again. A week from today! Oooh! hair looked very nice today. Love to laugh and be gay. Dad and I are going to learn “Somewhere a Voice is Calling” as a duet. I love it. Also, “Out Where the West Begins.” Can hardly wait till Monday. So glad today is over! At night I had the bestest dream about Mary, Mac, Bunny, and I. Especially Bunny. When I awoke I thought it was real, Diary, honest! If only!
Henry S., age 26, Michigan
March 8, 1888
It has been a very pleasant day I think we are having many more pleasant days this winter than last. We made up our mind that Kate better start tomorrow and so she began to pack up and get ready but when I saw Fred today noon I found that he could not go, so we hope for a fine day next Monday. The man who was going to buy Jim has given it up, and so I am left on that score unless I find someone else to take him.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Henry S., age 25, Michigan
March 8, 1887
I got up this morning and built the fires. Wrote copies before breakfast, and some after too. I got Mrs. Neill to put up my dinner and about 9:30 I went up to the store to study telegraphy. I staid in the office until about 1 o’clock. I was listening to one message that was going through very slowly and succeeded in catching the sentence “mother is dead,” and I know some one was getting sad news. I would have sent a message today if I could have another operator at Traverse City. Mr. Case was going to see that I sent it right, but the operator was not in and I had to go to my classes. I practiced some more tonight. I got pretty tired. Have been writing to Kate and in an Autograph album. It as been a warm day, looks stormy tonight.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Cornelia H., age 25, North Carolina
March 8, 1862
Atheline ironed. I finished the pin fores. Stewed some fruit & baked some molasses ginger cake after dinner. Muster here tomorrow. Mr. Henry did not eat till after we did. John is hauling manure in the garden. A very pleasant day. Harrie came here this evening, has been to Haywood hunting volunteers for an artillery company. Made but poor speed. Oh! I almost fear we will yet be whipped. The yankees have possession of Nashville, Tennessee & I very much fear will soon be among us. Willie will soon walk alone, he is improving wonderfully every day. Harrie was telling us that Bob was dead (Jim Henry’s boy). He got out of jail & they shot him before they could take him. He died of the wound.
*(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
March 8, 1668
(Lord’s day). At my sending to desire it, Sir J. Robinson, Lieutenant of the Tower, did call me with his coach, and carried me to White Hall, where met with very many people still that did congratulate my speech the other day in the House of Commons, and I find all the world almost rings of it. Here spent the morning walking and talking with one or other, and among the rest with Sir W. Coventry, who I find full of care in his own business, how to defend himself against those that have a mind to choke him; and though, I believe, not for honour and for the keeping his employment, but for his safety and reputation’s sake, is desirous to preserve himself free from blame, and among other mean ways which himself did take notice to me to be but a mean thing he desires me to get information against Captain Tatnell, thereby to diminish his testimony, who, it seems, hath a mind to do W. Coventry hurt: and I will do it with all my heart; for Tatnell is a very rogue. He would be glad, too, that I could find anything proper for his taking notice against Sir F. Hollis. At noon, after sermon, I to dinner with Sir G. Carteret to Lincoln’s Inn Fields, where I find mighty deal of company — a solemn day for some of his and her friends, and dine in the great dining-room above stairs, where Sir G. Carteret himself, and I, and his son, at a little table by, the great table being full of strangers. Here my Lady Jem. do promise to come, and bring my Lord Hinchingbroke and his lady some day this week, to dinner to me, which I am glad of. After dinner, I up with her husband, Sir Philip Carteret, to his closet, where, beyond expectation, I do find many pretty things, wherein he appears to be ingenious, such as in painting, and drawing, and making of watches, and such kind of things, above my expectation; though, when all is done, he is a shirke, who owns his owing me 10l. for his lady two or three years ago, and yet cannot provide to pay me. The company by and by parted, and G. Carteret and I to White Hall, where I set him down and took his coach as far as the Temple, it raining, and there took a hackney and home, and so had my head combed, and then 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.)