Digital Johnny, Real Johnny

14 Going on 20

My little sister, Brandy, is 14 now and in high school. Really, she goes to a K-12 private school that allows you to move up a grade when you pass certain tests and is run by Scientologists. The school only has about 95 people, with just about 30 at the high school level, so you can imagine that dances and the like are totally lame and very un-fun. Recently, Brandy's school had a formal that she opted out of because going to a dance with the same 30 people you see every day, without an acceptable date among them, doesn't sound like much fun. Instead, she talked my step-mom into celebrating the occasion by getting her all dolled up in her mother's furisodoe kimono (formal kimono worn by women when they become "of age" - usually around 20 years old in Japan) and having some cute pictures taken.

I think the coolest thing about having siblings so much younger than you is that you get to see them gradually grow up from tiny newborns into actual, cool people. This must be what it's like to have kids, because I remember when she first came home from the hospital, her first tooth, when she first walked, spoke, fed herself, read, went to kindergarten... when she first ran away. She was such a bright, happy, energetic kid, then for a while she was sullen and quiet pre-teen, but now she seems to begun to discover who she is, go with that and build on it. I say all this because I really thought she would be in that anti-aesthetic, anti-intellectual, goth phase for a long time but I'm really proud of her for pulling herself out of that funk and learning out how cope with her situation until she's old enough to get out on her own. She's matured so fast in the last couple years I sometimes think that I don't know her at all, but that's probably because I don't get to hang out with her nearly as much as I'd like. She's still a little goofy and always acts like she has something to prove around me so she's always trying to show me up - which we all know she can't possibly do - but that's cool, I admire her guts and her determination to outgrow her little-girl status and image. However, I'm still better than you Brandy because I don't live at home. The battle will really begin in 4 years for who's the coolest.

(click pictures to enlarge)

Click below to see more pictures of Brandy in her kimono... and a couple of Aaron and I from Easter dinner at my Dad and Masako's house

My dad doesn't look too happy because Aaron took the picture wearing the Nazi helmet backwards

Us kid - Aaron was happy to finally get to sit at the adult table this year, instead of the kiddy table

Posted by Kristina at April 25, 2004 11:17 AM