Page of a 70s scrapbook in Greek, asking for the participants’ hobbies.

Did you use to keep a scrapbook as a teenager? In my school days back in the early 90s, it was a pretty serious occupation. So much creativity and consideration was enclosed in building the proper scrapbook that would impress the class by the end of the school year. It should contain all of the tricky questions and be embellished with ‘funky’ images.  Famous actors, singers, groups and all-time favourites were hosted in its blank pages.
Now that I come to think about it, the content was quite sarcastic. With rhetorical questions, such as “What does a scrapbook/man/woman/love/friendship mean for you?” or more personal inquiries like “Who is your best friend?/What is your zodiac sign?/What do you think of the owner?”, there was a deliberate intention to provoke intimacy and straightness. Tradition had it that the contributors used a nickname as a mask throughout the whole course and did not give away their identity until the last page.
What I remember most vividly is the fact that we hid it away with due reverence from parents and teachers Рanyone who wouldn’t catch its meaning actually Рas if it were a treasure. Perhaps that had to do with the revealed secrets and sometimes the naughty remarks. Although there was a flair of innocence and poetic feeling still in those ages, we felt that we would likely end up grounded if the scrapbook were discovered by our parents. I haven’t looked for my scrapbook as a grown-up, but I will give it a try next time I dig into my old stuff. I bet that I will run into many typos and the feedback, called for back then, will now seem extra cute and funny. How about yours?
-Magda Repouskou
Junior Girl
Girl Museum Inc.

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