To Be Young, Gifted and Tender Headed

Amongst all the old pictures, books and dance recital costumes that my mother has saved over the years, I found a single yellow 3 hole-punched sheet of paper. On it I had typed this (type case and misspellings included):

NIA RENEE HILL:

BACKGROUND: HAS LIVED IN THE CITY, AND THE SUBURBS
HAS LIVED IN BOSTON AND NEW YORK
NOW LIVES IN GEORGIA
LIVES IN A LARGE, PINK HOUSE
HAS A BROTHER AND A SISTER
HAS A STEP-FATHER

HOBBIES: READING, SWIMMING, HORSE-BACK RIDING, TENNIS
RAQUETBALL, WRITTING, AND ACTING


IDEAL GUY: WARM, CARING, RESPECTS ME AND MY IDEAS, LIKES ME FOR ME ISN'T AFRAID TO TALK TO ME AROUND OTHER PEOPLE AND FRIENDS AS WELL AS ME, RESPECTS MY CHOICE OF FRIENDS, MUST BE CUTE, AND CANNOT BE MEAN.

TURN-ONS: RELAXATION, SOFT MUSIC, ROCK MUSIC, GUYS WHO CARE

TURN OFFS: BIGOTS, SPITTING, NASTY JOKES, RUDE COMMENTS, BURPING

FAVORITE LINE: "I BET THERE'S MORE TO YOU THAN BEAUTY"

LEAST FAVORITE LINE: "YOU REMIND ME OF A GIRL I ONCE KNEW"

AMBITION IN LIFE: I WANT TO HAVE A STEADY AND ONGOING JOB IN ACTING, HAVE A HUSBAND, MAYBE HAVE A CHILD AND A NICE PENTHOUSE OVER CALIFORNIA."

I had forgotten all about this. I used to write these kinds of things all the time as a kid. I pretended that I was being interviewed because I was going to be a big movie star one day and naturally, all the magazines would want to know everything about me. I think I got this format from old issues of Playboy Magazine. I remember seeing the centerfolds and while I was definitely fascinated by the girls themselves (I didn't know anyone who looked like that), I was more interested in what they filled out on the other side of the page.

I still conduct these interviews in my head only now it starts off with how I walked briskly into the Beverly Hills Hotel wearing giant wrap around sunglasses and carrying an enormous bag. I order a salad but only eat half of it and drink glass after glass of unsweetened iced tea. I don't have a trace of make-up on but my skin is flawless (thanks to my vegan diet and plenty of water, natch). I'm exhausted because I just wrapped the new Woody Allen in Paris but I am thrilled to be promoting it. It goes on from there...

Finding this piece of paper is like finding a glimpse of my childhood. An innocent piece of me that I had misplaced. I must have been about 12 or so when I wrote this and it's amazing to me what's changed, what has stayed the same and how tender headed I was...even back then.