Forgot to Remember

I'm going to use today's blog to tick off the things that I forgot to remember to update you on including completing some of the suggested blogs in the You Decide post last month.  One suggestion was go to over my firsts and so Anonymous, thanks for your suggestion and here you go...

First Kiss

I know I was pretty old in relation to everyone else when I had my first kiss, as even back then I sought the magical.  I was however nothing but disappointed.  I wanted to wait for the perfect guy in the perfect moment for my first kiss (for some reason my first kiss always meant more to me than having sex for the first time), in reality none of this happened. 

I was 14 when I had my first kiss.  The guy was cute, pretty quiet, athletic and was never off his bike and yes, in true small town/group of young friends fashion had previously dated two of my friends (before I met them a few years before - I had moved 400miles with my parents).  One night after hanging out down the beach he cycled along as I walked to stay at one of my friends houses.  I was talking to the two girls and said I was nervous  as we hadn't yet kissed and was met with giggles from one who said he was a terrible kisser and an awkward smile from the other as she had the hots for him.

Right then and there I decided I would dump him as a terrible kisser wasn't what I wanted for my first magical moment with a boy.  However before I knew what was happening my friends had run into the house, he had parked his bike against a wall and I was about to embark on my first kiss. It was terrible!  Imagine a washing machine with a snake caught inside trying to get out. It was slurpy, fast, invasive and very, very repetitive.  I dumped him a few days later.

I imagine he must be much better at kissing these days has he is now a professional mountain biker and while in a serious relationship has never been short of offers for a repeat performance.

First Job

I always tried to make money growing up from making and selling friendship bracelets to cleaning cars and I guess the skills I learnt here stood me in good stead in my first hourly rate job as a window sales person.

At age 14 while most people went to work in the local supermarket or in hotels/restaurants I got a job in the industrial estate cold calling houses from the telephone book to sell them double glazing and if that failed anything else that could be made from PVC.

I was the youngest person in the small office of about 12 people, the oldest being 22ish before you got to management (all in their 40s).  I earned something like £2.50 an hour which was more than any of my friends and made commission on any sales (I don't think I ever made commission).  I had a target to get 10 leads a night and worked for 3 hours a night 4 nights a week. It was surreal and my vocabulary widened ten fold in the first few days.  I think if the people at the other end of the phone had any idea how old I was they would have been appalled and ashamed at some of the responses I received. 

The worst part of the job was one of the managers called Phil (nope I'm not going to hide his name) he was creepy and a tad flirty and everyone saw him as a bit of a joke, he never did anything untoward though.  The best part at that age was calling a number where someone had a comedy answer machine at which point you would mark it in the phone book and it would be rung 2/3 times a week for light relief in the office.

Right that's your lot for today.  I may do two more firsts tomorrow.

PS:  I said I'd keep you up to date with any chat from the guy at the training I met that looked like Dave Grohl and I forgot until now.  He confirmed me as a friend and has a gf.  He is still a cool cookie.

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I hate this guy but this song is appropriate
Mika - Teenage Dreams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEhutIEUq8k

Stolen Truth

Read this blog while listening to the music link at the bottom 

I believe in magic.

I was born and raised in a magic time, in a magic town, among magicians.

We grew up living in a web of magic, connected by the silver filaments of chance and circumstance, almost everyone else didn't realise, but I knew it all along.

You see, we all start out knowing magic, we were born with whirlwinds, forest fires, and comets inside us.  We were born able to sing to birds and read clouds, and see our destiny in grains of sand.

As time goes on and we age, we get the magic educated right out of our souls, we get it taught out, spanked out, washed out, and toned out. We get put on a straight and narrow, and told to be responsible, told to act our age.

And why we were told that? Because the people doing the telling were afraid of our wildness and youth, and because the magic we knew made them ashamed and sad of what they’ve allowed to wither in themselves. After you go so far away from it, you can’t really get it back. You can have seconds of it, just seconds, of knowing and remembering.

When people get weepy at movies, it’s because in that dark theater, that golden pool of magic is touched, just briefly. Then they come out into the hard sun of logic and reason again, and it dries up, and they’re left feeling a little heart-sad, and not knowing why.

When a song stirs a memory, when nodes of dust turning in a ray of light takes your attention from the world, when you listen to a train passing on the track at night and you wonder where it might be going; you step beyond who you are and where you are and for the briefest of instance, you have stepped into the magic realm.  
This is what I believe.

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Switchfood - Dare You To Move

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOTcr9wKC-o

Sparkle

I remember when the biggest battle of my week would be trying to convince My parents to let me play outside 'just 10mins longer', when I trusted everyone and when I thought it didn't matter how many times you fell down, someone would always be there to help you get back up.  I remember when I thought 29 was old.

The problem with growing up is that for some of us, sometimes, we get a glimpse of the magic we used to see when we were little.  In a movie, in a song, in a photo And sometimes in a moment that takes your breath away.  And there lies the the never ending quandary.  Once you know it is there, just out of reach, but there all the same there, nothing else is good enough.

I love those little bits of magic, those moments where you see everything in a new light and feel like you could take on the whole world and win.  I live for the moments where I'm lucky enouGh to have my tummy flip upside down and it doesn't matter what I do I can't get enough air. 

I live for the moments in life that are few and far between, can't be found can only be stumbled upon, make your entire world spin and make everything else fade into the background.  I miss those moments.  I feel like I haven't seen the magic for a while now, but I will wait because I know when I least expect it a firework will appear.

So until then, until I see the glimmer of a sparkle I will do what I have to, I will be the best I Can be and I will embrace the mistakes.

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James Morrison - Once When I Was Little

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi87KmwiDtE&feature=fvst