Some people remember the past by dates or seasons. I remember it by haircuts. By world tour titles. By the length of Harry’s hair or the vanilla ice cream swirl in Zayn’s.
Time moves fast. You may be surprised by just how fast the night changes. But for me, time is measured through One Direction eras.
First there was the “Up All Night” era (2011-2012), pure, colorful, briLIAM. These were the days when I wanted a hair feather and discovered the bright orange Wattpad universe. Life felt simple; except it wasn’t. Fourth grade brought loose teeth, crushes, bullies, and a mom with breast cancer. Rather than turning to Judy Blume (like I probably should have), I was totally smitten with the new boy band.
Then came the “Take Me Home” era (2012-2013) – I grew a little bit older, but was still soft and childlike. Fifth grade brought new friends. I started a diary. I experimented with my mom’s makeup. She was still sick, and 1D helped me cope. For the first time, I began to understand that pop music could be meaningful.
The “Midnight Memories” era (2013-2014) was a little angsty as I began an adventure called middle school. I was growing passionate. Everyone was trying to be a little more grown up. My friends kissed boys on the playground during recess and it was so romantic. I was the girl that loved Harry Styles. My mom was a lot better by sixth grade and now that that problem faded I was faced with other stressors: Math got harder, mean girls got meaner, and I was still trying to figure out what it meant to be Kaleigh. I listened to “You and I” on repeat and was totally fascinated by how artsy the music video was.
By the time the “Four” era (2014-2015) hit, I had begun to develop some maturity. But really, I was still the biggest One Direction fan I knew. My friends were retiring their boy band phases as I was still belting out the lyrics to “Stockholm Syndrome.” This album is my favorite to this day. It was lyrically mature and the last album with all five members. “Four” taught me how to grow and let go. When Zayn left the band in March 2015, I hand wrote every lyric to this album.
“Made In the AM” (2015) was very short-lived. I was in eighth grade and disappointed to say the least. Life felt really complicated at this point. My friends were maturing quicker than I was. I journaled each day after school and learned new words like “hiatus” and “rendezvous.” I began to branch out and find new hobbies. One Direction evaporated as my grammar school days were ending. I began my new journey as the boys began their solo careers. Life grew so much more complicated than I could have imagined, but oh my has it been beautiful.
I’m still a Directioner, and I still measure my growth like this. I started my first day of high school on Liam Payne’s birthday. Nine years later, my first students loved listening to songs like “Kiss You” and “One Way or Another”; I can only hope their childhood feels as special as mine did.
It’s absurd how boy bands are dismissed as girly fluff because loving something that deeply as a child is a privilege. One Direction evolved with me. All my posters became a time capsule. Their rhythm follows me through adulthood. And now, the band is just a fond memory. And I know this time was not perfect, for me or for them. That child stardom is damaging, and it’s not lost on me that the fame we celebrated may have hurt them. If the band had never formed, some of them may be less haunted today. So thank you to the five of you: for giving up your childhood so that I can cherish mine.
Hey Kaleigh! 