We often finish our shopping in that section, mainly because it's on the way to the check out, but I also love to scope out the latest magazine headlines without Bumper screaming at me. She is always too busy reading Busy Kittens, or Busy Pigs, or Busy Ducks (see a pattern here?). That kid can't get enough of busy animals.
Wait, I'm totally getting off topic here... back to the beginning.
So I'm cruising the new releases in the book section and lo and behold, what do I see in a jacketed hardcover? A total forbidden blast from the past: Forever by Judy Blume.I remember buying that book like it was yesterday. Holy cow... I was shopping with two friends and they dared me to buy it. I was eleven and ballsy so I had no issue going to the cash to buy what was probably the most controversial teen novel that we had ever heard about.
What can I say? We were young silly Catholic school girls living in a (still) heavily influenced religious part of the country (I can't wait to see what Google hits I get from some of those word combos).
For me, it was allowance well spent. I loved a little controversy which at that age was difficult to come by. As we all know, sixth grade scandals were lame back in the day. Things as wicked as talking to the kid everyone hated or (gasp) ratting someone out for emptying the paper-towel dispenser all over the school bathroom floor were about as hot as shit got for us.
From what I've read online, Forever is still considered controversial since it portrays a couple of high school seniors dealing with a physical relationship in a mature, educated way (for the 70s) and aren't punished with pregnancy or worse (which was how many teens-having-sex novels of that time seemed to always end).
What a concept. Responsible young adults having healthy physical relationships.
Oh what am I thinking... how controversial - BAN IT!
I kid.
I wish I still had my forbidden copy of Forever but I was the kind of kid who liked to spread joy amongst my peers with any prohibited items. Forever got lost in the teen-age shuffle of mixed tapes containing the Violent Femmes, copies of Playgirl, Less Than Zero, and the like.
Later in grade seven, early on a Saturday morning, a classmate came to my door and asked, in a hushed voice, if I had a copy of the Judy Blume classic. I gladly lent her my copy, passed in a white bag like it was The Pill itself.
That may have been the last time I had my hands physically on it but I remember many asking to borrow it. I probably sent it down the line without it ever returning to the little box of contraband, buried in my room.
I wonder how many minds were corrupted by my contributions *smirk*.
I wonder how many minds were enlightened by my contributions.
I know there is a more indepth post in here but it's not coming out today.
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I must stop and think about this news story some more:What a concept, dressing up road kill.
I wonder if this strange exercise has made anyone think about the lives lost during that brief flash of the unexpected?
Years ago, I worked with a wonderful woman who had an interesting borderline eccentric family. For instance, her husband used to pick up roadkill during trips and rebuild the skeletons.
He was a biologist but still, this was for himself and he did it on family vacations. She cursed him out a million times for leaving the bones boiling too long on the family stove but last I heard, he had only curbed his selection.
By the way, you never, EVER, open a pot on their stove to see what's cookin'. No matter how good it smells. I swear that squirrel smells just like beef stew.
But it sure as hell doesn't taste like beef stew.
5 comments:
I do remember being forbidden to read Forever, and I found it in my grandma's room on a visit. Racy stuff for my young eyes, indeed!
Are You There God It's Me Margaret was my Judy Blume book.
And...aherm...I've done stuff like taht guy with the skeletons. You know...art school stuff.
You know, I had never even heard of Forever until B&P mentioned it, now I've heard it talked about many times. I need to read it just to see what I missed out on in my junior high years.
Also, you and I would have been great friends if we had been schoolmates in those days, I can tell. *lol*
NME - I just about fainted when I first read it (as tough as I acted I was still easily blown away - still am actually).
Oh crazy mumma - at least yours is for art.
Kyla - I would have totally corrupted you :)
I don't remember anything being off limits as a teenager except for drugs and alcohol. My dad threatened to kick us out of the house if we ever did any and I believed him. :-)
As the oldest of four brothers, contraband for us was snakes, turtles, alligators, and anything else we could catch in the swamps of South Carolina for the time we were there...I did read a few Judy Blume books around fifth and sixth grade, but never heard of that one. Maybe it came later?
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