Cringe:

You know, some cherished things from your youth just should not be revisited. Remember that book you loved in sixth grade, or that movie that was so, so cool freshman year? Now, not so much. Sure, some stand the test of time, but many do not, and do not painfully.

Case in point: when I was thirteen, I saved my babysitting money for weeks to buy this totally awesome black felt fedora-slash-Paula Abdul “Forever Your Girl” hat from Claire’s, and wore it to Kate’s birthday party, where I was the absolute belle of the ball, even causing the birthday girl to gush, “Sarah, I’m so glad you wore your hat to my party, because it’s just like Jan’s party when Heather wore her cool hat and everyone wanted to wear it all night!”

Jan and Heather were about as cream of the crop in the eighth grade social circles as you could get, so I have always remembered this night as one of the highlights of my middle school career. Sure, I knew the hat was passe now, but it was not until I discovered photographs this weekend that I realized it was not just harmless and innocent, but that the sheer embarrassment from ever having had it anywhere near my head should have knocked me in a coma until I turned, oh, 23.