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I
HEREBY RESOLVE to act like a "big girl" this
year. No more mooning before the mirror about why I
don't look more like Lana Turner and no more
daydreaming about out-Hayesing Helen on Broadway or
rescuing Guy Madison from a burning building just to
get on the front page of the papers. I'm going to find
out what I can really do. It's always an A in English
for me, so maybe I could try a short story or two
outside class. My dancing is good, but it could be
better. And it's over six weeks since I tried to play
Clair de Lune on the piano, but I'm sure I could fit
in one hour a day for practicing. And about the school
dramatic club - say, maybe that Broadway deal isn't
such a bad daydream after all!
....TO
BE MORE HONEST. It's true that the alarm clock didn't
go off the other morning when I missed the bus and was
twenty minutes late for history class. (Never even set
it, you see.) But it's not true that the paper on
"Underwater Plant Life in the Great Lakes"
for biology was as hard to write as I pretended it
was. It might have been only two weeks late if I
hadn't sat next to Alice in the library listening to
her jokes every day. And about that two dollars I
borrowed from my mother when last month's allowance
ran out (not to mention the extra two-fifty the month
before). It's true that I needed a new pair of brown
gloves, but I guess I could have made ends meet if I'd
cut myself down to three movies a week (unless Gregory
Peck comes to town, of course). What this gal needs is
a better budget!
....TO
BE A BETTER FRIEND. Each girl in our group is my
special friend, but - well, cat-chatter does start up
occasionally, and sometimes I'm even the one to start
it! Last Saturday afternoon I had a movie date with
Miriam, and then that evening I didn't even say a kind
word when her name came up at a party and someone said
she was no fun. And those things I said about Alice
after she got the date I wanted with Johnny! After
all, she's been my friend since grade school. So what
if she did tell everyone I looked awful with my hair
cut in bangs? After this, I'm going to mean it when I
say "glad to see you" to somebody.
....TO
WORK HARDER AT SCHOOL. My grades are good enough to
keep mother and dad happy, but I know I could learn a
lot more if I didn't write letters in study hall and
keep thinking about last night's date while the
teacher is talking. And I guess for this year I'll try
to do my homework without listening to the Bob Hope
and Fibber McGee programs at the same time. And maybe
(got my fingers crossed on this one) I can learn to
get through just one evening without calling up the
gals three or four times to see what answer they got
to problem 14 in algebra or whether the history
assignment begins on page 221 or 232!
....TO
BE A PRETTIER GIRL. I know I can look almost like a
small-sized angel on the night of the big dance. But
I'm not always so good to look at in between.
Sometimes I get so sleepy, after going through my
homework, reading the papers and everything, that I
skip the brush-and-bobby-pins routine that would make
me neat and curly in the morning. And maybe I wouldn't
have complexion troubles at all if I didn't skip those
before-bed scrubbings once in a while. I could
probably be the sharpest girl in school (who looked
like me, that is!) if I spent a little time at it. And
no other girl in my school can make that statement!
....TO
GIVE UP MOPING. Right now half my time is spent
nursing the blues. If I'm not feeling like Lena the
Hyena just because Johnny doesn't call till
seven-thirty when he promised to call at seven, then
I'm worrying about whether or not I'll have a date for
Friday night or for the Senior Prom. Or my feelings
are hurt because mother says, "Must you trip over
that rug?"; or because my English teacher marks
"Is this your best work?" on a theme that
took me ten minutes to write. If I figure out why I'm
blue, I might even be able to laugh it off!
....TO
HAVE MORE DATES. Sure, Johnny's fun, but - since we're
not going steady - why do I depend on him for my
one-a-week date? Maybe Pete would like to take me to
the movies sometime, if I let him know I'd like to be
friends. And it might be fun to ask the gang over to
my house, instead of just waiting for someone else to
make a party. And when I do have a date I'll skip the
joey clothes and look smooth; I'll act my best and
say, "Oh, wonderful!" even though I don't
like to go bowling. I guess I could have more fun, if
I was more fun, couldn't I?
....AND
ABOUT MY FAMILY. This isn't just for the new year,
it's for all time, so - okay, Sister Anne put your
clothes in half of the closet if you insist, and wear
my blue sweater just once, if you want to! I won't
complain. And if you insist on chattering when I want
to sleep, putting up your hair with my bobby pins, and
talking and talking on the phone when I'm waiting for
a big call - well, I guess it's all right. And if I'm
part of the family, I guess I can dry the dishes, make
my bed in the morning, and eat up my oatmeal just as
well as anybody else. I'm at home about one half of
the time, so why not have fun while I'm there?
And
if I'm smart, with my eyes wide open, I'll pick up a
few answers for myself - and maybe this list of
supersolemn resolutions won't be so long next year!
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