Twenty years ago today in the suburbs of Albany, NY, wearing a white frilly dress purchased from the store where one must purchase such things in Brooklyn, NY, I sang in public for the last time. As it was quite literally on the occasion of an honest-to-god rite of passage, nobody fell sick as a result.

Per tradition in the Northeast USA, my parents threw me a huge party at a hotel on the occasion of my Bat Mitzvah, with catered chicken fingers for all the kids. I had a perm and was infatuated with a boy in my Hebrew-school class. I led the conga line. There is video evidence.

At this point in my life I have very consciously and actively eschewed everything about the events of that day, but I’m going to focus on the positives. Of spending a day with my whole extended family, of obsessing over that boy.

I had a long post written about religion and judgment and expectation and friends and family, but sometimes cutting 600 words is the best thing to do.

Searching our dusty albums basement archives hasn’t turned up a photo of me on that day, so instead why don’t you post a photo of or comment about yourself from twenty years ago? A day of reminiscence is in order!

16 responses to “It’s My 20th Bat Mitzvahversary”

  1. haley Avatar

    <img src=”http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2220/3528727810_2f9c26a0d0_m.jpg” width=”228″ height=”240″ alt=”new bike” />

    A picture of me on my 5th birthday with my brand new banana seat bicycle. Banana seat bicycles were a rite-of-passage in the 80s right? Sure they were.

  2. Stacey Budge-Kamison Avatar

    20 years ago this month, I was at my first job out of college Jr. Art Director at Southern Living's Marketing Department. After 4 years of learning graphic design using rapidiographs, vellum, type galleys and a drafting board, they put a mac computer in front of me and told me to learn how to use it instead.

  3. smartgrrrl Avatar

    I am totally raiding my mom's photo albums when I go home, so I will post my own Bat Mitzvah pictures when I get back to my scanner.

    Because, you know. They are HILARIOUS.

  4. carolbrowne Avatar

    Here I am about 20 years ago graduating from high school – http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolbrowne/166424

    Good times. Make that 21 years ago. YIKERS.

    I would so love to read your thoughts on “religion and judgment and expectation and friends and family”. Also, would love to see you with a perm. Cute!

  5. Ellen Bloom Avatar

    Hey! 20 years ago was like YESTERDAY! How 'bout 50 years ago at the original Disneyland? Me and my brother riding on the Junior Autopia!
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/ellblo/3529040368/

    Check out Natalie's blogpost today. She's looking for prom photos from the past:
    http://woolanthropy.blogspot.com/2009/05/prom-n

    Happy vintage photo day to all fiberistas!

  6. Heather Dollarstorecrafts.com Avatar

    Here's me more like 22 years ago: http://www.flickr.com/photos/17261684@N00/35290… nice 80s outfit, hair, and dig the nylons (with sandals, but you can't see those in the pic). I think I'm wearing a Swatch, too.

  7. Kim Werker Avatar

    Yes, they sure were. I had one before we moved. It was purple, and I'd ride
    the streets (or, more specifically, my one block) of Brooklyn pretending it
    was a horse. I'm sure it had a name, and I'm sure that name came directly
    from Little House on the Prairie.

    2009/5/13 Disqus <>

  8. Kim Werker Avatar

    Awesome photo! I'll definitely write about all that stuff at some point. And
    I'll see if I can dig up a photo.

  9. Kim Werker Avatar

    A Swatch! I wore one in the mid-80s. It had a white band. Not a good idea
    for a kid, really.

  10. Maren  Avatar
    Maren

    Well, I see that someone has already said what I was going to — I'd love to hear your thoughts about religion, expectation, etc.! Weren't you the one that said bloggers should write about other things, not just crochet…. I know you already do, but seriously, I would like to read the 600 words you cut.

  11. Kim Werker Avatar

    Noted! I'll work on hashing it out.

  12. betsy Avatar

    I think this conga line video evidence must be unearthed!

    Here's me, roundabout 20 years ago, with my little brother in my grandparents backyard in Georgia. Note we were so cool we were both wearing Jams.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftivista/276466

    And I, too would love to hear your thoughts about religion and family and whatnot, but do agree that sometimes, erasing big chunks of text is something you just gotta do.

  13. KathyElkins Avatar
    KathyElkins

    20 years ago on 5/13 I was 4 days shy of my 23rd b'day, living at home,engaged to a boy (that didn't work out so well) and just a few months away from leaving a boring marketing job at a bank (marketing home equity loans and mortgages is not very much fun) and taking a job at a local beer distributor where I would meet Steve. Hmm – thanks for making me stop and think back. In hindsight is was a pretty pivotal time for me.

    Maybe we should try a conga line at Yarn Group. . . . . . .

  14. ncavillones Avatar

    20 years ago, I was 9 and got my first pair of eyeglasses. Of course, they were gigantic but only somewhat traumatizing.

  15. nell Avatar
    nell

    how timely. i hadn't thought about it, but thinking back to the spring before i turned 8 (that'd be twenty years ago) i realize that's when i met my best friend. her family had moved in across the street from us in april or may of '89. i will have to send her a twentieth anniversary card. ;)

  16. nell Avatar
    nell

    how timely. i hadn't thought about it, but thinking back to the spring before i turned 8 (that'd be twenty years ago) i realize that's when i met my best friend. her family had moved in across the street from us in april or may of '89. i will have to send her a twentieth anniversary card. ;)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

16
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x