rebellion

I was such a stupid teen. I wasted those years behaving myself. Most people, even including my family, would agree. I did have one ear double pierced, against my mother's wishes. But I believe she copied me a few years later, so she ruined that one. I didn't get in trouble with guys or with the law or with school. I was pretty boring as teens come, even in the dark ages of the 80's.

But instead I rebelled in stupid ways. For instance, the one coming to mind tonight is literary. My mother was an English Lit major in college. Our bookshelves were full of books with dreary bindings and dusty pages. My sister chose from them eagerly. So, I rebelled. I chose to be as different from them as possible. I avoided those books like the plague. I was sure they were boring and I never pulled anything from them to check. Not a Jane Austen in my hands! I'm not sure I'd even have recognized the name back then. Not even when my mom saw my college literature class paperbacks in my dorm and mentioned that she had copies of most of them at home and could have saved me money did I think to scan through her books over the summer to find ones I might enjoy.

So I'm making up for lost years now. I've used the TiVo to record the PBS Jane Austen series that's been on this season. Although I didn't know Pride and Prejudice was a two parter and deleted part two before watching it, (grumble, grumble) I've saved all the others. I just finished a girl's night watching Emma with my friend, VB. I can't believe that I, the hopelessly romantic teenager, missed reading these books. I'd have flopped across my bed for hours at a time, lost in the dreamy balls and bucolic countrysides. I'd have started drinking tea! What was I reading back then? I suspect the answer is: a lot of nothing worth remembering.

Positive spin on this is that there are still lots of books for me to find on her shelves now, when I'm visiting. I just wish I had the time that I had back then to read now.