Hey Cherie pt. 2

HI EVERYONE.

You all probably think you have a good handle on me. And, you probably do. A 'good' handle. But do you know everything about me? CERTAINLY NOT! I am an onion with many layers and such. I am also good at coming up with non-cliche metaphors. Anyway...

There are things, however, despite hundreds of entries on here, that you don't know about me. One such thing is this:

I was a teen advice columnist when I was in high school. OH YEAH. That happened.

Basically, here's what went down. Maybe I was in 8th grade when it started instead of high school? Katelyn? Are you reading this?

Katelyn's mom read something in our local newspaper about how our local newspaper The Stamford Advocate (please don't stalk me. EEP!), wanted to run its own teen advice column alongside the nationally syndicated (plug plug plug) column 'Hey Cherie'. Local teens were invited to come to The Advocate building on the first Monday of each month, eat pizza, and share their opinions on the problems presented to 'Cherie', and on Cherie's advice. These opinions would be printed alongside Cherie's column in The Advocate.

*This is an example of the 'Hey Cherie' column without our advice*

http://www.creators.com/advice/hey-cherie.html

Katelyn's mom wanted her to be one of the teens that gave her two-cents alongside Cherie's longer ramblings on subjects like kissing a boyfriend with a big nose, or getting caught gossiping about peers. Katelyn was interested, but since she was a 13-year old girl, she needed a friend to come along with her to the first meeting. Heaven forbid you do anything alone as a teenager or, gasp, talk to people who don't go to your high school / have every class with you.

Enter me. Why are you laughing? OH. EW. Not like that.

I was, and still am up, for just about anything, so was happy to accompany Katelyn on her first trip to the newspaper building. I would do anything for free food, so the idea of pizza, and possible fame! appealed to me. It still does. Anyone know about any events coming up with free pizza? I could really go for some.

(on a scale of 1-10 I want this pizza iphone case a 23)

Well, that first meeting, turned into a 5 year stint. Once I turned 18 I realized I was too old (read: thought I was too cool) to participate in the column any longer. But, I enjoyed the monthly meetings (later on Alex, Heather and Liz joined me and Katelyn on that first Monday of each month...so it was like hanging out, for free, with other people we didn't talk to or made fun of) and the minor fame that came along with being in the newspaper about once a month (they couldn't post my advice every Monday. come on! The spotlight was big enough for all of us!) Seriously. My nana's friends would tell her at Temple that they had seen me in the paper and how GREAT my advice was yada yada yada.

And now, that brings me to THIS blog and right now.

You know I dabble in blog features (photoshop on demand comes to mind...how nice that I think ONE OF YOU sent in a picture for that. a whole person! a whole picture! that person was Kate btw...we're related and she's obligated to do things that I tell her to) and I have an idea for a new one:

ASK BECKY!

You guys can write in with problems (I'll make it anonymous if you're shy, or I can totally blow up your spot and make you a j-list celebrity if you're so inclined) and I, a la myself at 15, will give you advice like 'You're an idiot' or 'You need to ask him out already' or 'White socks with black dress shoes should never be an option'.

So, trust ME with your problems. I promise this will turn out well for everyone.

(I'm not really kidding)