Monday, November 27, 2006

Blog Fodder #1

A new weekly meme from my new friend Moogie......she's cool!
And the new meme is a little different, in that we bloggers have all submitted the weekly topics. So there is an added appeal in that it's 'Our' meme.

So, dear readers of the Palace - welcome to Blog Fodder!! If you're interested or intrigued - follow the links in bold text.

This week's topic, as pulled out of the virtual hat (by me!), is from my old pal Jean-Luc over on the USS Enterprise :-)

“What are some of your memorable experiences at school?”

Blimey - what a one to pick! Of all the bleedin' questions!!

Well, I hated school.
I wasn't any good at the whole structured learning thing and nothing stuck in my head, no matter how hard I studied. So I only passed the minimum of O-level and failed my A-level mock exams. So, it's safe to say that education was not one of my memorable experiences.......

I was a solemn child from a violent household who felt awkward around other people and was a walking 'victim'. I was bullied from infant school (6yrs old) right through to the sixth form (17yrs old). Thanks to some of my tormentors having smaller siblings, I was in the unfortunate position of also being bullied by kids younger than me. So it's a good bet that friendship was not one of my memoriable experiences.

Extra-curricular activities were quite big in our school, but I didn't do very many. I was too terrified to be on stage, so acting was out and I didn't even feel brave enough to join the school orchestra. I loved swimming and horse-riding - neither of which I did at school. So extra-curricular activities have not enhanced my school memories.

My teachers didn't help. Whether by accident or design, they added fuel to the bullying fire. I was unfavourably likened to my elder sister who was just 'wonderful'. They made it clear they disliked me and my life went from bad to worse with no one to talk to. No touching memories of nice teachers then.

Funnily enough, me and a friend were talking recently about that famous cliche 'School days are the best days of your life'.........nah.

*These* are the best days of my life. I'm finally content (if not happy) and reasonably confident. I have friends, I have qualifications and I am (mostly) liked, even though I still carry the 'victim' stigma.

hehehe - can't wait to see next weeks 'Fodder'...... :-)

cq
(this was supposed to have illustrations, but blogger photo isn't working again.)

18 comments:

Jennifer said...

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i have a writing dilemma on my blog about a paper i need to write... if you have any ideas/suggestions, i would greatly appreciate your input!

thanks!

your fave pink princess ! :)

Unknown said...

Childhood is over rated anyhow. there are plenty of other years to have a good life with, as you well know.

Le laquet said...

See school shouldn't be like that for anyone, ever! Teachers should have acted on the situation when you were too young to do anything about it yourself!!

Bobkat said...

I hated school too. Best years of your life - pah!! I think I only had two great teachers all the way through my education and more than enough apalling indifferent ones. I now realise that some of my hang ups are the fault of these teachers including a hatred for maths! (Not trying to attack teachers - just my personal experience).

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed your first Blog Fodder. Mine is up too!
Have a great week and see you next... or maybe over at Michele's a time or two.
Smiles,
Chrissie

MaR said...

I have fond memories of my school years, specially highschool in a girls' school...now keeping e-mail contact with many of them. But that's not always the case, as I very well know.

It's very nice to read your final sentences telling you are finally content with your life now . Is blogger interfering with your complete happiness???
(I created a blogger beta account just to upload pics, it's a lot faster)

Uisce said...

This topic is right up my alley -- I didn't mind school so much. I didn't waste my time on cliques or drama, so I got through it ok.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

I LOVE this Meme...I may have to try it, too!
I like you CQ never ever liked school, at all! My grades were crappy and it took me quite a while to understand that the reason I enjoyed "Orcgestra" and found it easy was because Music was such an important thing to me.
It is hard to imagine you not having friends, my dear....YOU are such a warm loving person who is sooooo wonderful at friendship...! Isn't it awful that you had to recover from these terrible terrible years...All I can say is, those other kids missed a whole lot not 'getting' what a fantastic person you are....!
And btw: I had a similar thing regarding my oldest sister...a teacher actually said to me, "Why aren't you like your sister Robin?"
Help Me, PLEASE!

keda said...

yeah i never liked or seemed fo 'fit in' at school either. kids can be vile to each other.i remember someone spitting into my pocket once.
the only thing i liked was the actual classes. and then only a few as most of the teachers were as bad as the kids.

i was miserable for years until i just lost it after one particularly nasty rumour was spread about me and turned into a female hulk.

noone ever bothered me again.

i worry now about how my own girls will cope.. especially with all the stupid comparisons people make.
one thing about turkish schools compared to british ones though is that there is virtually no bullying. there is more respect.
and of course the lets will have me on their side. and now i'm mamahulk.
it's hard to imagine myself as the terrified, unhappy child i was.

i'm sorry your school years were like that. but just look how you turned out.
it's all part of the journey i guess and we get to learn and pass on outr knowledge and help stop it happening again to others.

great post sweetie. be well.

Anonymous said...

Second blog I have visited on this topic and both of you had bad expereinces. IT was the era when nothing was done to help the well being of the children in school and where bullying was rife and it was actually toally horrendous I am sorry that this happened to you
Xx Fizzy xX

Anonymous said...

Came over from Blog Fodder. I put mine up today. Reading yours reminds me how lucky I was despite not liking school. My younger brother was bullied all through school aswell and I can only imagine what a nightmare it must have been. Just seeing the results saddens me. I'm glad to see you're happy now!

Judy said...

Hi... hopping over from Blog Fodder. I'm sorry you had such a miserable time at school. Other than the four incidents I mention in my response to this question, school was fine for me. It was easy and, though I wasn't part of the "in" group... I wasn't an outsider either. I guess I got along okay with pretty much everyone.

I was glad my younger sister never had any of the same teachers I had. School was pretty easy for me, but she had to struggle the whole time. At least she didn't have to put up with comparisons.

Glad to have found your site. I'll definitely be checking back. And, have you checked out PhotoBucket to upload your pictures... it works for me.

Anonymous said...

I didn't like school either... or rather I didn't like most of the people I went to school with. My best friend moved away at the end of 1st year and it went downhill from there. I stopped bothering with homework and I'd take a day off ill if I could swing it.

Strangely enough, I did enjoy college (so much I didn't actually ever complete the course work). I find it easier to learn my own way, anyway.

Anonymous said...

I'm really sorry for your experiences. I had terrible times during High School - sexual abuse among pupils was something that was totally ignored or thought to be impossible. Leaving some things buried in the past is the best way to deal with them. =)

Anonymous said...

I think that those of us who DON'T consider those few years in school to have been fantastic have better lives in the long run. We all know that person who's still focused on their "glory days" of being 15, right? I'm so glad that's not me!

Here via Michele! Hope you have a great weekend.

Anonymous said...

Ugh..it sounds like you had a rough time in school. I didn't like school but I got through it ok. Like you, I think these are the best years of my life. I'm glad you are at the point you are now.

Here via blog fodder. I can't wait for next week's topic either. :)

carmilevy said...

I've never understood why everyone looks back at their school years with such nostalgia. I, too, was bullied during my formative years, and I have no reason to ever want to relive those times.

Live in the moment, I always say.

I wonder what I'd do to my tormentors if I came across them today. Hmm, the mind wonders.

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