Nostalgia sucks.
My body has the annoying habit of staying awake when we all know that we should be asleep. As I begin to type this nonsense, it is 1:18 am on Wednesday 25th of June 2008. I got home about two hours ago after seeing The Incredible Hulk with Kiz and The Duck. The movie was ok, but thatÂ’s not what I am here to talk about.
As I said, my body has the annoying habit of being awake at ungodly hours. This is not a new phenomenon. When I used to work at Woolworths, I would often only get two or three hours sleep, before giving up at 3 am and just going to work. Fortunately for me, I no longer work at Woolies, AND there is a One Day International between Australia and the West Indies on Foxtel to keep me amused.
Anyhoo, the point is that when I have trouble sleeping (which is too frequently for my liking) my mind goes into nostalgia modeÂ…
Looking back on grade 12, I realise that I’m not a great deal further on in my life than I was 10 years ago. I still don’t have a university degree or a job. I still live with my folks. My back is more screwed than it was at school. However, I do have a beard. Is that all I have to show for the last 10 years? The answer, it would seem, is “yes”. However, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea – this is not meant to be some self-indulgent tripe. What I am really getting at, in a curvy, wiggly, zigg-zaggy way is Facebook. Many of you who participate in the bollocks that goes on at this particular Web site are familiar with Facebook. Indeed, many of you are my friends. I have managed to become “friends” with a few people with whom I did grade 12. I did not actively search out these people, it just sort of happened. They must have found me.
I have changed my mind; this is self-indulgent tripe. Have a think, people. Who of you can honestly say that theyÂ’re where they thought theyÂ’d be when they were in grade 12? I thought that I wouldÂ…
Â…have a university degree and a job. Not studying a second uni degree after completely ballsing up the first.
Â…have only buggered knees and fingers from wicket keeping. Not a buggered back from hauling around fruit and veg.
Â…living a carefree life doing the things that I want to do. Not constantly monitoring my activities in case I fuck my back up further.
Â…not understand how people can be diagnosed with depression. Not celebrating the fact that I have been off anti-depressants for two years and missing the bloke whose death put me on that slippery path.
…have my own place – either own/mortgage or at least renting. Not still living with my folks.
Â…still be single. I got that one right.
Â…have no beard. I never thought IÂ’d be a beardo (not that IÂ’m complaining).
Those of you who have been out of high school for some time, I ask you this question. If your class organised a class reunion, and if you went, what did you think? Did you like catching up with people from high school, or would you rather have your genitalia slammed between two bricks? There a few people that I would like to catch up with from school, but for the most part, the reason that I havenÂ’t stayed friends with a majority of people in the Class of Â’99 at Golden Grove High School, is that we werenÂ’t that close. Those who I was good friends with, I am still good friends with. If our class held a reunion, IÂ’d be the bloke sitting in the corner with The Duck and Alex sinking piss. If I got enough booze down me, I might tell a few people what I really think of them and perhaps try to grab one or two sheilas on the arse. A top night, IÂ’m sure youÂ’ll agree.
Do I really want to be reminded that a few people treated me like absolute shit and that many days I went home miserable?
Now that I have that out of my system, I will return to my usual angry rants.
What the hell is the Australian Cricket Team thinking? OK, IÂ’ll admit that Mr. Whingey had a pretty good tournament at the Indian Premier League and perhaps he should be given another go in the one day team. But using Cameron White as a frontline spinner? Why donÂ’t they just throw the ball to a foetus and get it to throw the ball down the track? It would probably have more luck.
I canÂ’t be arsed writing anymore. Tune in next time for another scintillating, yet thought-provoking post.
Love and sloppy kisses,Grum.
Tags: Nostalgia, self-indulgent tripe
4 Responses to “Nostalgia sucks.”
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I often have the same thoughts. In fact, I was thinking of doing a post on nostalgia after driving around yesterday. Every now and then, I feel something in the air, something about the way the sun and the wind feel, that take me back. I’m not sure where they take me, but I miss things, like the Mini I had huge plans for, before selling for a ridiculously low price. I even miss my first girlfriend, despite her becoming a giant slut.
I’m only just now in the field I expected to be in after I finished school (several years too late), and that’s about all I’ve got that I was expecting to have.
Since I was with Cassy when I finished school, and things were relatively good (and we were young and stupid), I had harboured thoughts of being married now (although, to be fair, that’s not something that exactly weighs heavily on my mind now), and I thought I’d have a house (again, doesn’t weigh too heavily because of the lack of affordability).
Having said that, there’s some places I never thought I’d be and I am. I never thought I’d have become such good friends with you, Grum, and the other loafers, or have met Sean in the first place. You were, at the time I left school, merely a friend of Aaron’s (ha! Like a friend of Dorothy’s!), and I had no idea of the network of friends attached to you and Alex that I’d end up thinking of as my main group of friends. So, swings and roundabouts.
There’s a number of people who added me on facebook who I’m certain would never speak to me in public (and several don’t, I see them on the bus), so I know how you feel. I didn’t go to our reunion because I really don’t care what anyone else is doing. The ones I care about, I already know about.
I don’t think that I’ll bother going to our reunion either – if someone organises it. I can only think of a few people from grade 12 who could be fucked organising it, and they’re not the people that I was friendly with. Civil? Yes. Friendly? No.
As for having a different set of friends, a lot of this came about due to sport. For example, if it hadn’t been for indoor cricket, you and I (Kiz) would barely know each other except that you were a friend of a friend. Same goes for PJ (and subsequently Kylie). If I hadn’t become friends with them, would I know Scott, Bill, etc. Sport has a lot to answer for…especially my (beloved) debates with Sash.
True, true. Although I also spent a bit of time with you and Gav through going to town with Alex, and that was when I wasn’t playing sport. Duck introduced me to Alex, and Alex introduced me to some of the other guys. I remember the first night I met Alex, I went to Duck’s house to head out to town and Alex was there with his Celica. Someone else was there too, I think it might even have been yourself.
What an interesting read this is.
I’m pleased that after school I retained friendship with a majority of people who I respect, sport definately helps in keeping this I think. There were some right prats in GG ’99 who I have as much respect for as Daryl Somers and his singing career. I don’t talk to these nor add/be friends with them on facebook. And despite my apprehension of joining facebook, it definately turned out good for meeting old school friends. That night the Keithcot Farm boys had out on the piss was gold.
And career wise? Well, it took me a while but I’m finally working and studying in the field I want. As for relationships, I’ve never set goals such as married with 3 kids at 30 etc. Always wanted to get the career sorted out first anyway, and I think I’m on the right path there. Hopefully this well also mean buying a house too, the still living at home thing isn’t ideal but I’m studying full time and the olds are very good to live with too.
And I’ve been friend with Kizza since grade 4 and we still talk about the same crap. Bugger me…