CHILDHOOD: TWO

My childhood was a nightmare. I didn't know who I was and I spent my time trying to please everybody or being terrified of everybody. In class I was too scared to speak for fear of making an ass of myself. I don't remember much about State School except that I felt like an oddity. To make up for my shyness I worked hard and was noticed by the principal. But I was soon in trouble. There was a game we played call "cock fights". Don't know why it was called that as it had nothing to do with 'cocks'or penises. The game consisted of splitting up into two teams and forming pairs. I can't remember whether the girls took part. I suspect not. So the boys paired up and one boy hopping on the shoulders of his partner. Then, on a signal we would charge the other team and try and dislodge the boy on the shoulders of your opponent. It was good fun although it often resulted in someone getting hurt. The thing is we were not permitted to play it and one day at the lunchtime assembly all those who were playing cockfights during the lunch hour were told to step forward. I didn't. I was too scared. But then one of my class...turned around and pointing straight at me shouted: 'He was playing too!' I was a wimp, already taking on the mantle of my parents. I still remember the shame of that moment. I can't imagine how I expected not to be found out. I must also have been very dumb.

We also had a great headmaster (they were called headmasters then, although now I hear they are now called principals). His name was Mr Chrisophers. He was an energetic little bloke and for some reason he took a shine to me probably because I was a little bloke too. He used to organise excursions for the school and on one of these we went to Phillip Island, down the coast and were taken out in launches to circle a small island inhabited by very smelly seals which leapt into the water making ghastly.........

I had two embarrassing experiences at this school. The first was on the morning my mother delivered me and I lay on the floor outside the front entrance kicking, screaming and crying, putting on a bang-up show to convince everyone that this was a very bad idea. Fortunately I didn't succeed.

The other embarrassment was being put in a music class to play the violin at the insistence of my mother who constantly tried to live her life through me. The noises I made with the violin were appalling and it wasn't long before my pleadings to be taken out succeeded. Thank God! What a blessing.



1 comments:
Roger Carr said...

Never dawned on you that "cockfight" may have something to do with rooster fights?
October 18, 2007 1:39 AM