Five Years

Five years. It's a funny length of time, its not a prison sentence, although at the time we all feel that way and we all feel that it is and we all feel that it will never end. It's the length of time you spend (allegedly) at senior school comprehensive, grammar, community college or what ever they call it these days. we have such strong ties with the people we band together with, and then as if by some kind of magic the thread is cut and we go our separate ways.

I enjoyed my five year sentence, I had good friends (at least I thought we were good friends) we had a great time huddled in our little part of the jungle, and although there were little clumps you generally knew everybody at least on a nodding basis, girls stayed in their areas boys in theirs, only the brave or the foolish went off in search of the female of the species (even now at my advancing years cough splutter.. I wouldn't know how to, can I speak to girls , yes I have no problem, ask one to go out with me the thought still breaks me out in a cold sweat) in the wet weather we closed ranks in the warm weather we spread just that little bit further afield.

We had the odd scrapes between us but again nothing that I would like to think serious, I'm notorious for holding a grudge(me with my reputation), but I didn't bear anyone at school a bad bone, I don't think I was hugely popular but I don't think I was hugely unpopular ( I'm trying not to think about it)either and generally to me at least they were the best of times, fun and games pranks and generally not a care in the world, well not really but the younger you are the more bullet proof you think you are. did I have female friends actually yes  I did and not just tom boy types, the only real difference between me and a lot of friends is that there was only one mate that I hung around with that was into music, everybody else was into football it wasn't until much later that these friends caught us up and got into music.

Sports was the order of the day and although I wasn't great, I wasn't crap either, and I indeed enjoyed the various activities that I got the chance to do, was it all sweetness and light of course it wasn't, there was always the odd bump in the road but hey ho we were teenagers what can you expect, but you soldier on at that age or at least I felt we all did, what the hell do I know it was thirty plus years ago.

Now what has brought this particular blog to the fore, well to be honest I'm a tad socially acrophobic, I don't make friends very easily these days, I either try too hard or I really don't give a rats ass, not much of a middle ground and if I'm honest that's my issue and not the worlds, I didn't stay in touch with a lot of people from school because I got the hell out of Dodge as quickly as possible , I did gravitate back from time to time, but I lived away from the group so to speak even my best friends struggled to stay in touch, I didn't mind that's what happens we float in different circles, having said that my best two friends when we see each other it's like we are carrying on a conversation from the previous day, do they feel the same way I have no idea but hey ho it's the thought that counts.

But again I digress  noticed on Farcebook I don't have a lot of "old" friends, I have to admit I rarely ask people to be my friend in case they think who the hell is the lunatic, and the potential that maybe I wasn't as popular as I thought (hahahahaha) but I did once and I feel so guilty for doing it, have a look at who my friends where friends with (stalker mode ooops), just to see who they had stayed  friends with or had they gravitated to different groups and as a rule of thumb, and its good to see that they did, I have to admit when peeps reach out ask me to add them it really does warm the cockles of the old ticker because people have remembered me, and that's my rambling done it was an obscure thought that floated to the front of my brain I wasn't being maudlin and hankering for the old days, I'm sure that there are plenty of people thought I was a dick then and that I'm still a dick now (newsflash people I probably still am)but it was a fun time looking at all the good people, I really can't think of any who I didn't like, so for once that's me full of happiness and no need to send the goon squad around after me, I'm doing good and so it appears are the bulk of the people who I went to school with until the next time ....Toodles!