Editor’s Note: This segment is inspired by the podcast Grownups Read Things They Wrote As Kids, which invites listeners to “reflect on their own lives, to connect with who they used to be, and to draw a line that connects the past and the present”.
Sometimes people stumble upon remnants of their past – photos of themselves as kids, old diary entries – that reveal who they used to be. In an effort inspired by Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids, a few UCLA students bravely dug up some old letters and messages for some laughs and reminiscing.
Second-year biology student Amanda Phan dove deep into her Internet history for some blog posts she wrote in middle school. These posts reflect Phan’s middle school self, including a dislike for bullies and perverted jokes, as well as a love for playing piano.
Fourth-year business economics student Willa Kang reads an untraditional diary entry she wrote about beginning a serious relationship. The writing reflects her worries that she was undeserving of her boyfriend’s unconditional trust.
Fourth-year business economics student Christina Teng revisits an old letter her boyfriend wrote to her while he was away on a hunting trip. It was hard for him to spend a week away from her, but he tried to get through it by telling her about hunting elk and spending time with his father.