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# Portrait of the Author as a 10-year-old
- URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/portrait-of-the-author-as-a-10-year-old/
- Published: 2009-07-23T16:35:08.000Z
- Updated: 2009-07-23T16:43:55.000Z
- Author: Brendan Hilliard
- Tags: #Import 2026-06-24 03:26, #Import 2026-06-24 15:11

After years of searching, I’ve found the Holy Grail of my personal writings.

![Picture 6](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Picture-6.png?resize=434%2C452 "Picture 6")

It’s the ‘Goosebumps’ Journal I wrote in from 1996-1997.

I initially thought it was lost to the sands of time. I know I hadn’t thrown it away, but I didn’t know where I put it either. Walking on to the loft where we keep most of our books today, it just stared me right down in the face.

I didn’t write very long – there’s probably about ten entries total, and most of the time it was about what I ate, or Beanie Babies. 

Anyways, I thought I’d share some select, unedited lines from the journal today, and maybe some more at a later date. 

Until then, experience the bowlcut and the mid-nineties stench of Alanis. 

> March 5, 1996
> 
> Dear Journal,
> 
> Today at school I felt lousy, when I got home I had a fever of 100.8\. I was “suffering” at school today. I was at the office 4 times today. But man, I really feel sick. 

I probably wasn’t sick. This was during my compulsive ‘go down to the office cause they’ll send you home’ phase. I think I was lying to the journal in case anyone else read it. 

> March 10, 1996
> 
> …We are just to about to have lunch. We are going to have chicken nuggets. Sometimes when I’m writing I will stop and wait. Then I will keep going. Well as I always write, “I gotta go, bye!

First documented signs of my still-undiagnosed ADHD. Stop and keep going. Like a car. Honk Honk!

> March 11, 1996
> 
> …Tomorrow I have a Pizza Lunchable. They are awsome. They come in Extra Cheesy and Pepperoni. I am going to go to bed now.

I think what’s more awsome is my spelling of aw**e**some. 

Pizza Lunchables, for reference:  

![lunchablespizza](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/lunchablespizza.jpg?resize=399%2C407 "lunchablespizza")

WTF is a “Pepperoni Flavored Sausage Pizza?” You ate these COLD. Gross. Papa Murphy’s now makes a business out of this shit and calls it “Take and Bake”.  
Back in those heady days, we just TOOK, and **WE LIKED IT.**

> April 10, 1996
> 
> …I feel kind of dizzy. I am going to wear shorts tomorrow. Some of my friends are too. Hopefully!

I have no idea. And this was the year *after* I got heat stroke.