1 jan 1968 & Taquiena Boston
“New Year's Day 1968 marked my first day of journaling. It is a practice I've continued to this day.” Taquiena Boston (2017)
#OTD Monday 1 January 1968. Taquiena Boston, a 13 year old student at Taft JHS, woke up and was excited about the new year. The night before, on New Year's Eve, there was no snow on the ground. By the next morning, 4.2 inches of snow had fallen in the city and by midday would reach a high of 36 degrees.
Taquiena was also excited to write in her diary, a Christmas present from her mother. It was a red diary about the size of her hands. It was beautifully patterned with a gold clasp. Emblazoned in gold on the front was “1 YEAR DIARY.” There was one page allotted for each day. She would write in it every single day of 1968. It is a wonderful & rare window into the mind of a thoughtful teenager who was well aware of the world around her. This diary serves, in a way, as a muse for the dc1968 project. Throughout the year, I will share more of her diary.
This is Taquiena's first diary entry:
“I was born this way, what’s your excuse? First, I guess I should describe myself. I am a tall, thin and not very attractive girl with shoulder length brown hair. And my blood is a mixture of Irish, Cherokee and Negro heritage. Since this is New Year’s Day, I had a whole lot of resolutions but they all seem to add up to one thing: to develop myself culturally, mentally and physically. This day wasn’t very great for me. First of all, my best friend went away to North Carolina and I won’t see her until September. Then my fav television show hasn’t been on and that really kills me. Before I sign off for the day, there’s someone I’d like to describe to you. He’s Micky Dolenz, a real doll. Six feet tall, curly brown hair, brown eyes and the cutest face. Really, he’s my teen idol but I call him my lover. This has been a dull day.”
Listen to Taquiena read her diary entry:
photo source: courtesy of Taquiena Boston
