Last year I went back to my childhood hometown for a school reunion. Sitting around the table where some people who went through from Kindergarten to Year 12 with me. That’s a big chunk of your life. Funnily enough I’m not sure any of us had changed that much, characteristics that were evident in kindy still seemed to be present in middle age for most of us!
In 1973, the year we started school, Gough Whitlam was Prime Minister, wine casks and pop top cans were just being invented, the Sydney Opera House was opened, Margaret Court was winning in tennis, The Godfather was taking out the Academy Awards and “Tie A Yellow Ribbon” was a hit song!
The internet wasn’t even a figment of anyone’s imagination. The idea of carting around a phone in your back pocket would have unleashed hearty laughter, we were still steadfastly stuck to one spot with black, chunky rotary dial models. Our friendship dramas were played out face to face not on a computer screen.
While we were learning to count with Cuisenaire Rods and drinking warm milk at recess the world was changing, our mums were starting to go to work, the supporting mother’s benefit was introduced and expectations were high for equality as the way of the future.
So much had changed between the years, there had been love and loss, illness and struggles, successes and triumphs but at the end of the day those years sitting in country classrooms had shaped the grown-ups we became.
Funny though how your perception of yourself may be different to how others see you. When I was complaining about Hippie Child’s ability to “zone out and be vague” one of my school yard buddies remarked ironically “I don’t know where she would get that from”, I was shocked. I’m not vague. I’ve held very responsible jobs. I’ve passed difficult courses. She can’t possibly get that “I’m not very bright routine” from me. But later that evening a few long forgotten memories began to swirl … there could have been the odd moment … but it wasn’t very often … really it wasn’t.
It’s a startling revelation to see yourself through someone else’s eyes, particularly when they are remembering the child/teenage you.
On my personal Facebook page I have friends from every stage of my life from kindergarten through to my current job, I almost posted as an experiment,the question how would you describe me in three words or less? To see if it compared to how I would describe myself, but I chickened out. Was I afraid they would use words I couldn’t relate to? That they would see me in a way completely different to the image I thought I was projecting?
How would you describe yourself in three words or less? Would others agree? Has the description changed over the years?
It keeps giving me shivers how much your experiences echo mine. So many childhood memories here.
Such am interesting post! And I had a similar experience at my 10 year school re-union. I wasn’t drinking because I had a triathlon the next day and someone casually remarked ‘well you’ve always been an athlete Kelly’. Which seemed weird to me that that was the summary of me they had in their mind (because obviously I thought there was a lot more to me than that!). But if I think back to school, I DID spend an awful lot of time playing one sport or another.
I am going to do your 3 words thing with my friends and see what they come up with – I reckon that will be very interesting! I reckon the way others see us is seldom the way we see ourselves!
Love this post as it gets us thinking about how we aee ourselves.
I think too many of us see ourselves as less than what we are.
Whether it be we didnt get told enough when we were little how good or special we were..I dont know.
I do know that when I receive a compliment I dont feel comfortable as I was always made to feel I was never good enough.
Thankyou for making me look inside myself and see the positve and not just the negative I hear in my head from the past.
We should all do that from time to time.xx
interesting thought. too tired to think. joy!
3 words to describe you: funny, thoughtful, frank.
I think I have changed a lot since high school – I was very outgoing and confident, probably a bit brash and annoying really. I’m much quieter now, probably just grown up really. I don’t dare ask childhood friends!
Thank you. See that’s funny I wouldn’t have said frank, how interesting. I would go with confident, focused, friendly and intelligent for you (yes I know that’s four couldn’t decide between friendly and intelligent so had to put both in).
I’m not sure what people would say about me. I remember being shocked when a friend told me that before sh knew me she thought I was stuck up. That has been said by another person as well only using less polite words.
I’m not sure I’m ready to know what others think of me.
It’s a bit scary isn’t it? I think I’ll just happily go along believing I’m projecting what I want and not ask anyone for their thoughts!
After we had been dating for a few months, my wife told me that I seemed like “The male Phoebe”. Yes, Phoebe from “Friends”. So that’s my three words, “The male Phoebe”
That is so funny, I love it! I so wanted to be Rachel but fear I’m probably more a Phoebe type myself!
Three words or less – singing quirky hostess. (I’m sure this would change depending on the time of day) – would other people agree, you ask a good question. I think you’re right, I think it would take a Facebook experiment to figure it out.
I love that … singing, quirky hostess suits you absolutely.