First mate's log:
November 10, 1971
Cindy Brady told me that she's been trying to boost both Marcia and Peter's confidence. All the kids and Alice have been buttering Marcia up so she'll feel like she's not miscast as Juliet. Marcia doesn't seem to know what they're up to, because she told Jan and Cindy she was going to find a way to make Peter feel better about himself.
"And Marcia invited over Kathy Lawrence, because she figured he wouldn't believe us because we're his sisters."
I almost said something about how impressed I was that Cindy got through that sentence without a lisp, but I didn't want to make her feel bad by reminding her of how she talked when she was younger.
"She had Kathy trick him by pretending to want to hear about a movie about potato people from outer space."
"Oh, I've seen that! Invasion of the Potato People! They've got eyes all over them! And Ginger is the scientist's girlfriend. I saw it about ten years ago."
To my surprise, Cindy started crying.
"It's OK, the Potato People get mashed at the end."
She shook her head. "I feel bad because I ruined Marcia's plan. Peter was hiding behind a chair to show what the scientist did, and I didn't know he was there. So I asked if Kathy had fooled him yet."
"Gee, that's too bad."
"Yeah, Kathy said she really did think the movie sounded interesting, the way he talked about it, but he didn't believe her."
"Well, be more careful with Marcia."
"I will. We're all telling her how pretty and talented she is, but we're trying to make it sound real."
I hope it works out. And maybe I'll ask Ginger to give her a pep talk. As long as she doesn't throw off Marcia's performance with "motivation."
November 11, 1971
The kids have today off for Veteran's Day, and yesterday Peter got invited to his classmate Peggy's little holiday get-together. I guess she told him who some of the other guests were, because after he turned her down, claiming to be busy, and hung up, he asked us, "How would you like being the fourth guy invited to a party?" He also didn't like being asked at sort of the last minute.
Mike told him that the important thing was Peggy invited Peter. And I couldn't help saying that it sounded like Peter was starting to enjoy feeling sorry for himself. Mike agreed and added that if Peter doesn't like his own personality, he should try changing it. I mean, yes, children should be themselves, but adolescence is a time to experiment, find out who you really are.
November 12, 1971
Peter Brady, who still worries he's dull, tried out a new personality yesterday, since he had Veteran's Day off and he was watching old movies on TV. He imitated some suave British guy, maybe David Niven. It reminded me a little of when me, the Skipper, and the Professor imitated famous guys to cheer up Mary Ann after her supposed boyfriend married somebody else. I was Charles Boyer, but she liked me better as me.
I don't think Peter is trying to impress a girl. He just wants to impress his classmates in general. I hope he doesn't do that accent for the play though, because I can't see David Niven saying, "Hark!" like a palace guard.
November 13, 1971
Peter apparently misunderstood our advice. When we suggested changing his personality, we didn't mean changing it to a celebrity's. I suppose we're lucky that the movies he watched on his day off from school featured David Niven and Humphrey Bogart. I mean, it could've been worse, like Tony Perkins in Psycho or something. Still, the way he said "porkchopsh and appleshaush" in his best Bogie is something that Mike, Alice, and I will never forget. (The other children were over at friends' houses, so they weren't around to tease him, thank goodness.)
I told Mike I hoped there wouldn't be a Dracula movie on later, which he used as an excuse to nibble my neck a little, like he does every time I mention Dracula. (On Halloween, I remembered when Gilligan thought he'd been bitten by a vampire bat and, yes, we ended up necking on the sofa that night, while the kids were out of the house and Alice was at a costume bowling party with Sam.)
November 14, 1971
Greg Brady told me he's going to try out for the football team. Since we don't have seasons like back in the continental United States, even like he had as a little kid in Southern California, the first game of high school football is in December. Tryouts are a week from Monday and the decision will be that day, so he won't have to wait a few days, like Marcia, Jan, and Peter had to wait to hear about Romeo & Juliet. He's not as insecure as those three, but he is nervous, after he bombed out at the basketball tryouts.
"Well, at least Warren Mulaney is probably too busy with student government and basketball and Kathy Lawrence to have time for football."
"Thanks, Gilligan," he said a little sourly, but I was just trying to help.
November 15, 1971
Marcia is slowly gaining confidence. Perhaps actually rehearsing the role of Juliet and seeing how good she is has helped. She had Harold Axelrod over after school today. He's the boy who's playing Romeo. I'll admit he's not exactly handsome or charming, being a pudgy boy with glasses. (Not all that different from Harvey Klinger actually, although Marcia's taste has changed since then.) Harold is, however, according to Miss Goodwin, a very serious student and he loves English literature, so I think he will give Shakespeare's dialogue the respect it deserves.
He was impressed with Marcia's delivery enough to tell her, "You really are Juliet!" Hopefully, a compliment from one of her peers will be harder for her to dismiss than praise from me and Mike.
As for Peter, he's still trying to figure out a personality that works for him.
November 16, 1971
Peter got a jokebook out of the library and has started telling corny jokes that I remember from when I was young, and some of them probably go back to vaudeville. I don't know if his classmates will go for them, but I think they're funny. And at least he's trying something else. He's probably got a better shot of being a young Henny Youngman than a preteen Humphrey Bogart.
November 18, 1971
Peter wants to throw his own party this weekend, tomorrow evening in fact. He's been telling the family old jokes that are cute but corny, and we've been, well, humoring him. Anything to build up his confidence. And for all I know, he might be a future Bob Hope. I hope his friends like the jokes, since, well, kids can be cruel sometimes.
But, yes, Mike and I gave our permission. Next week is Thanksgiving, and the week after that is Romeo and Juliet, so this is the latest we can put a party together, unless we wait a few weeks, but then there will be all the pre-Christmas festivities. And Peter doesn't want this to be for any occasion except the debut of his new personality.
Peter invited Greg and Marcia, but Greg has a date Friday. Jan asked if she could go, even though she's not in junior high. He said, "Sure, you're my fellow guard, aren't you?" But he drew the line at Bobby and Cindy, who are sulking because they hate being treated like little kids, especially by the middle siblings.
November 20, 1971
Peter had a party last night to show off his new personality. A bunch of stuff went wrong, from a couple of his guests saying the punchlines of his jokes before he could, to his little brother and sister doing a fire drill in the middle of the party. But all five of his female guests gave him attention to convince him he's not dull. So he thinks it was a great party.
I wish I'd had that last part happen to me when I was twelve, since I was just as insecure as Peter at that age. But now I've got Mary Ann saying nice things, and she seems to mean them, so that helps a lot with my confidence.
November 22, 1971
Peter was a hit with his female guests, just by being himself. Marcia continues to do well at becoming Juliet. But now I have to worry about Greg. He's joined the football team!
Yes, I'm fine with Peter doing Peewee Football, because those boys are relatively small and weak. But some of the seniors and even juniors who play high school football are practically grown men. And I've seen the professional football games that Mike and Greg in particular like to watch, where all that padding (both uniforms and muscles) does not prevent serious injuries. And Greg is not even sixteen yet!
I worried less when he tried out for basketball, because that sport does not require tackling and all the other violence that is part of football. Mike thinks I'm overreacting. And, OK, yes, I did date Tank Gates in high school, not that Mike knows that. But I was a cheerleader, not a mother, and I hadn't gone through all I've gone through as an adult, including losing Tim. And, yes, that's not the same thing, since Tim was fighting for our country, while Greg would be fighting over an inflated "pigskin."
I know, I'm probably not making any sense, but this whole thing has me really upset. Sometimes I think Greg has too much confidence!