Geeks From the Past: A Geek’s Journal from 1976

The high school journal will always be a strange, distressing animal. Not only because of the often painful events recorded there in, but because of the inevitably painful way it is written. Which only makes it more amazing that author and blogger Steven Thompson has decided that in 2011 he would make the ultimate sacrifice by publishing his high school journal, ca. 1976, day by day for the world to see.

Here, amidst the 17 year-old angst, are the usual difficulties with girls, comic books, and curious issues with Coca-Cola.

I really need to cut down on the Cokes. My chest feels tight.

And perhaps it’s because of the ridiculousness of publishing a deeply private journal from over 30 years ago, but the adolescent misanthropy that ocassionally shows up comes across as funny, if in a sad kind of way.

I talked with Angie a lot today. At one point I even caught myself saying something from my heart instead of my brain for a change. Made me actually feel human. Didn’t much care for that feeling though. Way too vulnerable. Guess I prefer loneliness to human disappointment or even the potential for it. I did not follow up on anything and instead went back into my protective shell.

It’s kind of comforting to know that this kind of LiveJournal material has been with humanity for as long as there have been teenagers.

Astute media geeks will enjoy the name dropping of various pieces of cultural minutia that we now take for granted, like Planet of the Apes and Monty Python’s Flying Circus. And true-blue comic book nerds will squeal over such thrilling excerpts, such as:

I hit Cincinnati after school where I grabbed Marvel’s version of SHERLOCK HOLMES, … and the long-awaited SUPERMAN VS SPIDER-MAN! Kind of disappointing. I’ve seen better artwork and better stories but in this case the event itself overshadows everything! Wish they could have gotten Neal Adams to draw it!

What’s amazing here isn’t things like name-dropping Neal Adams, but that at one point in history, inevitable crossover comics like  Superman Vs. Spider-Man actually were “long awaited.”

Geekiness aside, this project has a lot of heart. In the midst of a busy media lanscape full of posturing and bravado, this is simple, exposed, vulnerable humanity. Kudos, Mr. Thompson. You’re a brave, brave man.

(A Geek’s Journal 1976 via Urlesque)