God bless moms. Especially mine, who had the foresight to save so many of the writings I created when I was younger. For decades, she kept unnumbered stories, drawings, school reports, and who knows what else in an old trunk.

During one of our trips to Maine, my wife and I must have sorted through some of it and brought a small collection of writings back to North Carolina. And I must have forgotten it, because when I saw a box labeled “Blake Childhood Stuff,” I couldn’t wait to tear into it and explore those lost “treasures.”

The box’s contents did not disappoint! This post’s featured image is a crop of the one below: a small sampling of works created circa 1980-something:

Just look at those titles! In case they’re hard to read, from left to right: Monstrous Ice, My Trip to Borestone, Blown Up and Thrown Off, The Halloween Cave, and The Dragon. I think most of these writings (if not all) originated in 1983 or 1984. I think The Dragon has “June, 1984,” dated by Mom, on the back (see below). She was always on the ball when it came to archiving all this stuff!

If you’ve recovered from being blown away by the incalculable awesomeness exuded by these covers, wait ’til you get a peek at the interiors! Below are samples from The Dragon and Monstrous Ice. Read through them and you’ll quickly discover I was bad at spelling. And grammar. And lots of other things. (I rocked the drop caps though!) I’d like to think I’ve made some progress since the ’80s…

I’m sure it’s because it’s a glimpse into my own past, but I’ve always enjoyed reexamining these things! (At the very least, I hope they’re worth a chuckle from you!) It’s also a great reminder that this whole writing thing isn’t a new conceit for me…from a certain point of view, anyway! I’m still banging away at Chapter VII for Between the Lion and the Wolf, and, at least, I think I’m making progress! Taking a moment to reflect—yes, even on this stuff!—provides a surprising measure of determination to persist!

Oh! I’ll share one last writing sample tonight: it’s perhaps the most telling exhibit (vintage second grade) out of everything in the box of “stuff” stashed atop a bookcase. I’d caption it, but it really speaks for itself…

Thanks, Mom, for tucking all these writings away so I might share (read: embarrass myself with) them with my boys some day!