Back to Middle School Days        Autobiography Home        Elementary Days

    This is a picture of my pen pal, Kim Jecmen.  Kim and I wrote to each other from approximately 1984-86. She and I were connected through a sticker magazine.  We both signed up to have a pen pal, we were matched, and the rest is history!  We wrote about everything that girls on the brink of being teenagers talked about.  Boys, social life, school activities, the latest fads, and of course, the reason we were joined in the first place, stickers.  Kim quickly became one of my best friends.  We found out that even though we had never met, we really did have a lot in common.  We both found writing to each other a release, a way to tell each other things that you just couldn’t tell people you saw every day.  I knew that I would probably never meet Kim, and I think by knowing this I could open up to her even more.  I quickly discovered that she would never judge me.  We just wanted to be pen pals; material things that could have made or broken a friendship at that age were not even discussed.

    Unfortunately, our lives became busier as we matured in those two years.  The letters became less and less frequent and eventually stopped.  As I write this I wonder what happened to my pen pal.  She and I were very close for a short period of time.  As I was wondering out loud, my husband said I should try to find her on the Internet.  I thought that was a great idea, but I failed to find anyone close to that name.  She is probably married with her own family now, which would make it even more difficult to track her.  I will probably never speak with Kim again, but I know that because of her, my writing experiences have been enriched.

TO KIM………….

Pen Pal

The excitement that I felt.

My mom would tell me I had mail from you.

Oh wow! A letter all to myself!

Not a card to my brother.

Not a bill for my mom.

NO! A letter from you – my pen pal!

What will you talk about today?

Will it be stickers, boys, or fads?

It doesn’t matter to me.

For I am the luckiest girl in the world,

With this letter from you – my pen pal!

I rush to read every word, smilin’ from ear to ear.

I read it again, already preparing the response in my head.

I run to my room and sit at the chair of my desk.

I get out my best stationary, and my best pen.

"Dear Kim…" I write, pausing to think of what to put first.

"KRISTIN, COME DOWN HERE AND SET THE TABLE!"

I hear my mom say.

"Oh Ma!" I throw my pen down. Writing will have to wait.

I can’t wait to write to you – my pen pal!