Growing Up Girl -- in the 70's

This weekend I sat back and watched my girls – ages 15, 10 and 7 – BE girls.

Unique in every way, they only seem to have the fact that they are sisters, in common.

As I watched them BE, I thought about me, too. I thought back to when I was a girl, at each of their ages, and I did alittle bit of remembering ...

Remembering what it was like growing up girl.

So, today I present to you – 10 things about growing up girl (for me) in the 1970’s. 

1.        Like many little girls, I loved pink. When I was in fourth grade, I had a pink room, with a pink gingham bedspread and a pink beaded chandelier that hung over my bed. I was nuts about pink.

2.       I always wanted a horse. I never had a horse – but I had a very large dog. His name was Mister.  Mister and I would snuggle in and I would reach Richie Rich comic books to him. He was a captive audience. I loved that.

3.       When I was in seventh grade, I tried out for our community theater performance. I – much to my overwhelming surprise – was casted for the role of Snow White.  It was my first and last acting opportunity. Perhaps it was my fair skin and dark hair. I don’t know, but it was a lot of fun.

4.       I grew up in a family that liked to fish. Seemed like I was often the luckiest family member at catching fish. Problem was, I didn’t like to fish.  So, I would throw my line in to the lake with no bait.  When my father discovered that I did so, he was not happy. Someone had to catch the fish, I guess?

5.       When I was in third grade, I was on a float in the Apple Valley Parade in Winchester, VA.  Yes, that’s me with the cute red checked shirt and the overalls on the right.  I thought I was pretty special waiving to the little kids and throwing candy. I love a parade to this day (although I never had the privilege of riding a float again).

6.       I loved concession stands.  Give me a dollar and I was happy to make multiple trips back and forth.  Sweet-tarts, Junior Mints, and Necco’s, were amongst my top favorites.  Hard for me to pass a concession stand today without making a purchase.

7.       I loved to run and until middle school, I was the fastest kid in my class.  The boys passed me up after that, but until then – it was awfully fun to beat them.  Did I say I was a bit competitive at times – in a healthy way, of course …

8.       I thought astronaut food was cool.  Dehydrated ice cream and tubes of “nutritious” food to sustain on a long journey.  It fueled my desire to be an astronaut – like most kids in the 70’s, I’m sure. When I discovered I get motion sickness, it pretty much put a kabosh on that dream.

9.   I once read a book, (I think the title was “Sunshine,” although I’m not sure) about a young mother who died of cancer. I curled up in my pink fuzzy rocking chair and cried, page after page.  It still makes me tear up, when I think about it.

10.    I was determined to become a professional football player for the Minnesota Vikings.  I played football with the boys and was a great receiver.  Now, being a Packer Fan, I don’t know what I was thinking. J  I should have been a Green Bay Packer.

Growing up girl, there were good days (years) and hard ones.  Watching my girls and remembering myself as one, reminds me of how God makes each one of us unique.

How about you?  What did you like about growing up girl? 

I love hearing people's stories. If you would like to share some memories of your "growing up girl" send me an e-mail at andreak54me@gmail.com with your favorites, and some pictures, too.