Ashley+Carter-1981 

__**1981 A Year in Review**__ __Charles Jameson’s Journal__

I think all this new age therapy is phony. There is no way this is going to help with my “affliction” as Dad calls it. I think I’m just broke in that way. Not that it matters. School is about to start and I’m pretty sure he thinks that college will fix me.
 * //January 10th, 1981 //**

Does it make me a bad person to hope it will? //-Charles Jameson //

College is bomb*. I don’t know why I’m keeping this hokey journal though. I quit going to the shrink but this part wasn’t that bad. At least it gives me something to do between classes. Met some brothers* after English the other day. They were the opposite of barney*, and the blond one, Matt, asked me if I would come out with them sometime. They laughed at my face because I dumbly asked if they were serious.
 * //January 23rd, 1981// **

Dad sent me a letter already. I’ve been gone for a week but I’m not surprised he’s checking in. He asked if I was able to catch the Reagan inauguration on the T.V. I told him I did, but I really didn’t. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to, I just forgot. I’m sure I’ll care about all that stuff at some point, but right now I don’t.

I told Matt and his friends that I could go out this weekend. Dad asked if I was coming home, I told him I was busy. He’ll probably think the worst, but I’m not doing anything wrong. For once I’m trying to fit in. //-Charles J. //

Turns out that Matt and his friends are like me. He told me that people like us are drawn to each other. Dad would say something about birds of a feather. //-C.J. //
 * //February 4th, 1981 //**

I haven’t gone home yet, Dad sends his regards but he’s asking if I met a girl. I told him yes, because I have met a few in passing. So it’s not lying. Not really.
 * //March 5th, 1981 //**
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Shadows Into Light Two'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">- **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Shadows Into Light Two'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">//Charlie//

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dad called today, distraught. The secretary from the front desk came and got me out of class to talk to him. The president got shot, and it shook him up. Said something about “reliving” history.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">//March 30th, 1981// **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">He pretends to act tough but I know he worries about me and I get it. I’m the only one he has left. I’m worried about what he’ll think when he finds out I haven’t changed.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">I need to fly home for the weekend sometime soon. //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Shadows Into Light Two'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">-Charlie //

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Matt and I have made it official. As much as two people like us can. He’s really nonchalant about people like us. He thinks people are people, and we’re no more weird than anyone else. We were supposed to go out with the rest of the guys tonight after class but Matt isn’t feeling well.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">//April 1st, 1981// **
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Shadows Into Light Two'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">- **//<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Shadows Into Light Two'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Charlie //

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">One of the neat things about going to college in California is the weather. Nothing much has happened these last few weeks. Matt is still not feeling well. He went to the nurse on duty and she told him to rest up and that it was probably just stress. He keeps trying to play it off as nothing but I can tell whatever he’s sick with is draining him.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">//April 19th, 1981// **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Matt insisted I went out with the rest of the boys. I did to make him happy, but it wasn’t the same. //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Shadows Into Light Two'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">-Charlie // //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">**April 22nd, 1981** // <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dad got me a the newest Walkman for my birthday. He sent it in the mail and called to make sure I got it. He asked me what I planned to do for the upcoming summer. I didn’t know what to tell him. I don’t think I could make it if I go back home.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Matt got me Stevie Nicks’ “Bella Donna” cassette for my birthday. He’s still not feeling well. //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Shadows Into Light Two'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">-Charlie //

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">I think I want to be a writer. I know it’s a risky career but Matt says that I have a gift. I don’t let him read these words but he’s seen my essays. He says my words paint a picture that make even the most boring Shakespeare interesting. I told him he was looney for thinking Shakespeare was boring and he laughed. He has a nice laugh.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">//May 10th, 1981// **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Matt’s still got a cold, but I think it’s gotten worse. I’m trying to convince him to go to the hospital but he refuses. He says it’s not that serious but I think he’s wrong. He’s had a fever on and off for the past week. If it gets worse I’m gonna force him to go. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Shadows Into Light Two'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">-//Charlie//

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">I told dad what I wanted my major to be. He said he hoped being a writer will make it more likely that I’d respond to his letters. //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Shadows Into Light Two'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">-Charlie //
 * //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">May 17th, 1981 //**

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Matt passed out in the quad today. We took him to the hospital. They think he has pneumonia. //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Shadows Into Light Two'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">-Charlie //
 * //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">May 23rd, 1981 //**

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Matt’s still in the hospital. I can’t stay overnight or it’ll look suspicious. I visit everyday but it’s not enough. I don’t think he’s getting better. The doctors have him on all sorts of drugs but they don’t seem to be helping. They just make him tired. //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Shadows Into Light Two'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">-Charlie //
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">//June 1st, 1981// **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m scared.
 * //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">June 3rd, 1981 //**

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">They called time of death while I was in class. Funnily enough we were reading Othello. I think that would have made him laugh. //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Shadows Into Light Two'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">-Charlie //
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">//June 5th, 1981// **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #252525; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">**Barney**: an unattractive male. **Phony**: deceitful person or thing. **Bomb**: Cool **Brothers**: Friends

Pedagogical Implications:
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #121212; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">If I were to use this in the classroom, I would make sure that the students have the background knowledge that they need to be able to create a narrative. This is a project that would need to start with the introduction of a time period through primary sources. As students become accustomed to the way people of this time era speak, think, and act it will be easier for them to take on this kind of project. Personally, I would introduce this at the end of a unit or use this as a midterm assessment. I would definitely use this activity in a middle school classroom because it allows creativity and also gives students a chance to put their own personality into the work. An example of using this in the classroom could be used while introducing World War Two and using letters from recently drafted soldiers. From there, a teacher could build on that idea by highlighting characteristics, clothing, language, and surrounding events that would affect people’s mindset. As all of these steps were completed, it would be a matter of creating a rubric and modeling the expectations to your students. I think this would be the perfect project to share with a language arts class. In social studies, students can write the letters and get their facts in order while in language arts can focuses on editing. Crossover projects are definitely something I want to try when I have my own classroom and I think this would be the perfect fit!