I'm having a sleepover tomorrow night. I'm almost giddily excited. It's been a while since I've had a real, honest-to-goodness, girls-only sleepover. It'll be just like eighth grade. We'll watch girly movies, talk about boys, and giggle a lot. The only difference between now and eighth grade is that the boys we talk about now are real, not figments of our overly romanticized imaginations. And the mudslides. Yeah, we didn't have those back in eighth grade. I suppose there are some perks to growing up.
So should I be ashamed that at the age of twenty-three I am so excited to revert to childhood joys once again? I think not. First off, let me say that I am completely secure with my nerdy self. I still like to color in coloring books on occasion, and I'll always harbor a love for JTT, my childhood celebrity crush. So if being excited for a sleepover with a good friend makes me a nerd, so be it. It's not news to me.
There is a really interesting bond that forms over girls' sleepovers. Back in the days prior to drivers' licenses and unlimited curfews, sleepovers were truly unique experiences. Hanging out with friends past bedtime, staying up ridiculously late just because you can, eating junk food, talking about things that are sacred to the girly sleepover--these things just didn't happen any other time. My friends and I used to have a saying: "Deep conversation, ready, go." Of course the irony is that you can't have a deep conversation at the press of a button. But that phrase only popped up at sleepovers, and wouldn't you know it, we always did have deep conversations. I won't go into the details of these because (1) I would be breaking the secrecy entrusted upon me by my friends and females the world over and (2) some of the things we talked about were just awkward and not fit for mixed company. (Not improper or dirty, mind you, just - well - awkward. Girl stuff.)
There's really nothing quite like sleepover talks and silliness. I could tentatively relate it to its more adult counterpart, "pillow talk." Certain topics are more easily discussed in the peaceful darkness of the late night for one reason or another. It's a safe environment with people or a person you trust. You know that nothing you say will leave the circle.
So even though I'm no longer in eighth grade and have no curfew or bedtime, I'm still very excited about this upcoming sleepover with my friend. Granted the "sleeping over" part is mainly a result of the mudslides, but I think every girl needs a good sleepover every once in a while. Even some day when I'm married and have children, I think I will make it a point to leave the family for a night with the girls. My mom and her sisters used to do this regularly, taking a weekend shopping trip - girls only - and staying in a hotel. I have no biological sisters, but I do have a number of girlfriends who are like sisters to me. And I pray to God that I never get too old to get excited over having a sleepover with any of them.
I, too, loved the ever-famous Jonathan Taylor Thomas! Yup, had a poster of him, Mark-Paul Gosselar, and Boyz II Men. When my husband and I first got married he worked at a local restaurant that is only open in the evenings. It was nice, in a way, because I would have a bunch of girlfriends, including my Mom and sisters, over and we would eat a yummy "girly" dinner and watch a "girly" movie. I wasn't of drinking age yet, so there was no alcohol (yes, I have almost always been a law-abiding citizen with the underage drinking, with the exception of a couple times perhaps). They were definitely some of my most favorite memories...Sometimes I still wish he had an evening job for that sole purpose.
ReplyDeleteMaegan