Secondly, I apologise for the block text but I'm having a problem with paragraphs.
No matter how many times I edit it, it will not change...aaargh!!
So, to Part 2:
I was jealous/envious of my mates when I was young.
They were able to go and buy toys, comics, magazines, sweets…whatever!!
They always wore nice clothes, went on holidays, went to the cinema etc; but most of all they were HAPPY!
They had parents that cared for and loved them, parents that did things with them, spent quality time with them…for my friends that was just normal, how all families are…yeah right!
They were able to go and buy toys, comics, magazines, sweets…whatever!!
They always wore nice clothes, went on holidays, went to the cinema etc; but most of all they were HAPPY!
They had parents that cared for and loved them, parents that did things with them, spent quality time with them…for my friends that was just normal, how all families are…yeah right!
I never received pocket money during my childhood, which I suppose is understandable given my family’s financial situation. If and when my parents had a little money they would treat us but those times were few and far between.
Once you got to a certain year in my junior school you could put your name on a list to “work” in the tuck shop during morning break/recess.
At the end of each week you could choose one item as your payment/wage. Fuck me, my name was on that list straight away, sweets and crisps were a rare luxury for me but this treat was guaranteed…every week.
At the end of each week you could choose one item as your payment/wage. Fuck me, my name was on that list straight away, sweets and crisps were a rare luxury for me but this treat was guaranteed…every week.
How pathetic was that????
Btw, I always chose Tomato Ketchup flavour crisps…Mmmmm! I’ve always been a savoury person…lol.
Btw, I always chose Tomato Ketchup flavour crisps…Mmmmm! I’ve always been a savoury person…lol.
When I moved up to senior school things improved a little, if only in the clothing dept…lol.
Of course we had to wear a uniform, so for me this was great, nobody (apart from my junior school friends that went up to the same school) would realise how poor we were because I would look the same as them…Haha!
The uniform had to come from a list of approved suppliers so there were no designer logos, I love the idea of uniforms in school and places of work because they are great “levellers.”
It was still embarrassing when shopping for the uniform though, as my dad was still unemployed we were entitled to free uniforms and had to present vouchers to the store as payment.
Seeing the looks, or rather the sneers, of the staff (and some customers) on presenting said vouchers I could’ve just curled up and died. They just looked at my parents like they were scum!!
Of course we had to wear a uniform, so for me this was great, nobody (apart from my junior school friends that went up to the same school) would realise how poor we were because I would look the same as them…Haha!
The uniform had to come from a list of approved suppliers so there were no designer logos, I love the idea of uniforms in school and places of work because they are great “levellers.”
It was still embarrassing when shopping for the uniform though, as my dad was still unemployed we were entitled to free uniforms and had to present vouchers to the store as payment.
Seeing the looks, or rather the sneers, of the staff (and some customers) on presenting said vouchers I could’ve just curled up and died. They just looked at my parents like they were scum!!
I also received free school meals, another humiliating experience, originally the system was that your parents were issued with a book of tickets every few months, or something like that.
When you reached the end of the queue for the canteen you either handed over your money, or voucher in my case, to the monitor. No problem there, nobody could see what you were handing over…lol.
Then, some time later the school changed their queuing system. Now, they had TWO queues, one for paying diners and one for freebies…wtf????
When you reached the end of the queue for the canteen you either handed over your money, or voucher in my case, to the monitor. No problem there, nobody could see what you were handing over…lol.
Then, some time later the school changed their queuing system. Now, they had TWO queues, one for paying diners and one for freebies…wtf????
So there you were in this queue of poor people, getting the filthiest looks and having to listen to things like “Pikey bastards!”, “Gyppo’s!” (not sure about the spelling…lol), “Losers!” etc. from other pupils. The only thing I could take comfort in was knowing then that I wasn’t alone…it was quite a fucking queue!
My poor mum had a worse life than I did during those times. Not only did she have to (and I mean HAVE TO) see to five kids each and every morning, she had to do everything for my dad too.
He wouldn’t get out of bed until we’d all gone to school and while mum was making sure we were ready and making us breakfast (you know the routine) he would be banging on the bedroom floor.
This meant “where the fuck is my breakfast???”
He wouldn’t get out of bed until we’d all gone to school and while mum was making sure we were ready and making us breakfast (you know the routine) he would be banging on the bedroom floor.
This meant “where the fuck is my breakfast???”
Anyway, with my lazy, no-good dad not working my mum decided to do some home-working.
So, she started sewing the leather onto steering wheels for sports cars AND putting the acetates onto greetings cards…the wage was crappy but at least she was trying.
He never lifted a finger to help her in anything, he would just sit in front of the TV all day and bark out his orders, when he wasn’t in the bookies that is…and don’t ask me where he got the money for that! She would be busy doing things like getting us ready, dusting, vacuuming, mopping, washing, ironing, shopping, cooking, washing-up, drying-up, the steering wheels, the cards…all day and into the night. She never had a moment to herself.
So, she started sewing the leather onto steering wheels for sports cars AND putting the acetates onto greetings cards…the wage was crappy but at least she was trying.
He never lifted a finger to help her in anything, he would just sit in front of the TV all day and bark out his orders, when he wasn’t in the bookies that is…and don’t ask me where he got the money for that! She would be busy doing things like getting us ready, dusting, vacuuming, mopping, washing, ironing, shopping, cooking, washing-up, drying-up, the steering wheels, the cards…all day and into the night. She never had a moment to herself.
What really fucks me off is something I mentioned in Part 1.
It was about a woman’s place being in the home, but, I should also have included that they believed a MAN’s place was to be the bread winner and provide for his family…lol, lol, lol, lol.
It was about a woman’s place being in the home, but, I should also have included that they believed a MAN’s place was to be the bread winner and provide for his family…lol, lol, lol, lol.
I wonder what happened there??
I’m sorry if this post was boring and/or depressing, I know I said I’d try to “lighten” things up but …
I will leave you with some amusing/cute images though.
I’ll be posting some photos of animals just doing ….well you‘ll see lol, and some “cute” animal photos courtesy of my sister-in-law.
I will leave you with some amusing/cute images though.
I’ll be posting some photos of animals just doing ….well you‘ll see lol, and some “cute” animal photos courtesy of my sister-in-law.
Reasons not to take kids to the zoo!
How cute are they?
Posts
sounds like it's been tough. hopefully you are/have been coming to terms with that past.
ReplyDeleteAnon: Thank you for your comment.
ReplyDeleteThat's not even the worst of it, but I think I have for a great deal of it.
*big hugs*
ReplyDeleteSounds as if your dad was a real-life Onslow (from "Keeping up Appearances") and nothing amusing about it.
ReplyDelete