First School

Going to school for a young boy and his parents can be a traumatic experience, but he enjoyed it! Being a gregarious little fellow it was a natural progression for M and he was happy, most of the time, although some things tested his spirit. He loved stories and most activities but some of the adults seemed a bit miserable and didn’t share his natural exuberance. Nevertheless his days were spent happily learning new things before returning home and playing; if all “school” was like this he would have no problems!

There were, inevitably days and events that were better or worse than others, a good day was playing Rounders or other sports, all of which he loved; days he did not enjoy were ones when he felt misunderstood!

Such a day was the one when he took his new lunch box to school; he was especially proud of this as it was designed like a small leather case, a cross between an attaché case and a suitcase. Unfortunately not all the children shared his love for this cherished possession and made fun of his “handbag” resulting in him having to sort the matter out by hitting the main jokester which seemed only fair to him.  However, not everyone shared his view of fair, especially the adults who proceeded in telling him what a naughty boy he was, keeping him in at playtime and, worst of all, made him stand in the corner away from his friends and whilst the adults had their lunch – how unfair was that?!!  Thinking back he can remember, everything about it, the faces, smells of lunch but most of all, the plain wall that he was so close to, wondering why he was there after all he hadn’t been the one who’d caused the trouble! Life was just beginning to be unfair.

Then there was the time when he was taking part in the Sports day, something he enjoyed and was good at, only to be disqualified from the egg and spoon race because he won so easily they said he must have cheated and held onto the egg; the indignity, the hurt! Maybe this was the start of the present day egalitarian approach to sports in schools were competition is frowned upon and everyone is a winner or could it also have been the start in him when he was going to beat the system and show them?!

Whatever, it was a day that still stings, even if the years have stretched and whether or not he did actually hold the egg with his thumb or not has blurred in the memory, the injustice and humiliation is crystal clear. Perhaps the other school thing that still rankles is the mothers’ Rounders game against the children when he was out to his mother’s bowling something that was to irk him for many a day; it just doesn’t or shouldn’t happen, you should score a rounder or be run out making a magnificent dash for glory but not out just standing there in the crease!

During these years he, like most of his age, went to lots of parties and was the life and soul of most of them but even then he had a panache for maybe going just too far, something that was to stay with him for the rest of his life! At one he fell in the pond, right at the start, even before the jelly and trifle and had to go home; whilst at another, running around, he made himself sick, obviously after the jelly and trifle, and again was returned home prematurely.

But his days, by and large, were still happy and carefree, with the odd mishap. However, once again this was about to change, as he was packed off, at the age of seven, to boarding school!