1982

I went thrifting with my aunt yesterday :)

The last time I went thrifting was probably in last-minute desperation for an oddly specific costume piece or accessory (80's themed dinner party? murder mystery?), or at home in San Jose, where my mother frequents the grounds of the Capitol flea market.

Walking through the aisles reminded me how much I love thrifting...especially swap meets. Beyond the crowds, weird smells, and overpriced, broken junk, there are truly interesting things to be found... both tangible and otherwise.

While browsing aisles of run-down lawn equipment, one-dollar clothing piles, used tires, and once-loved plush animals, I spotted one vendor that was selling old books. The unemployed English major thrives on foraging such grounds, and it wasn't long before I was at a kneel in front of dilapidated cardboard boxes, digging through hardcovers and softcovers and books without covers.

Among fascinating titles that I brought home for myself (The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Universe, The Gatefold Book of the World's Greatest Warplanes, This is Not a Book, and George Orwell's famous  dystopian novel 1984) were scattered a considerable myriad of outdated anthologies. A Guiness World Records volume from the early 90's. A collection featuring TIME magazine's greatest photos...from the year 2000. A bridal magazine that certainly dated itself with its cover- a voluminous, Farrah-haired blonde wearing a puff-sleeved gown. A Garden Grove High School yearbook- 1982.

On a whim, I decided to flip through the yearbook. The first page informed me that its previous owner was a girl named Jodie, and the following pages unfolded a surprising amount of detail on Jodie's life and persona, as well as life in the early 80's. A poll of the student body revealed that the most popular band of the year was Journey, and the most popular album was "Captured", released the previous year in 1981. Prom dresses were hideous, feathery, puff-sleeved creations. Photo montages featured faded denim, leather jackets, and orange turtlenecks. The handwritten notes reveal the excellent penmanship of a generation that grew up on manuscript, not on the computer keyboard.

Some things never change, though... the cheer captain was the same girl who won homecoming queen. There was a whole section of Nguyens. The marching band only got a single page spread in the entire yearbook.

I couldn't help but read through a few of the messages that her friends had left her. It was kind of odd, you get that sneaky-guilt feeling you only get when your friend leaves their email logged in on your computer, and you accidentally click on a message before realizing it's not your account. A lot of Jodie's friends had written about her sweet personality; one guy thanked her for always answering his questions in class, and another girl thanked her for curling her hair at an event. Another girl complimented her on her sense of humor, saying it was "super rad."

Upon realizing it, I flipped to the very back of the book and was glad to find the familiar index of names, organized by class and surname. Starting from the seniors, and then through the juniors, I finally found her name among the sophomores. It was listed that Jodie makes an appearance on two pages in the yearbook, so I memorized the two numbers and turned back through the yellowing pages. In the sophomore section, a black-and-white photo of a very friendly-looking young woman with glasses, fair skin, and a shoulder-length haircut looked back at me. I flipped to the second page, and smiled when I saw that I was looking at the ensemble portrait of the Garden Grove Marching Band and Color Guard.

I know I will likely never meet you, but in that moment, I felt like I did...and I like you, Jodie from 1982, I like you.


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In other news... just for kicks and giggles... here are two of my favorite things I bought today :)

this fantastic hardbound for $2

adorable floral heels for $9