Wednesday 6 June 2012

The Kid In The Front Row

I used to sit in this crate box thing in the garden and pretend it was a car. I used to sit in the car and pretend it was a spaceship. I was afraid the ice cream would melt. I was scared they'd pick me for the choir. I did not like even a single vegetable. I kicked a tiny little stone all the way to absolutely everywhere. I climbed things. I fell off things. I thought kicking her in the foot was a good way to impress her. I stood on my Grandfather's feet and he walked me around the room. I was only allowed to the end of the street but I went all the way as far as almost past the end of the street. I had the Ghostbusters backpack. I constantly wrote stories about spaceships. I gave up bike riding every time there was a puncture. I skated straight into a wall. I didn't share my chocolate with her because it was mine and she could get her own. I saw her sad-eyed reaction so I gave her all my chocolate and then she went off with another boy who had the same name as me. I hid in the ditch and pretended to save the world. I swung so high on the swing that I fell clear off. I stood right next to the swing which she swung straight into my finger. I had a fight with a giant bully and won. I played cricket in the garden. I ran around the big lake. I put my coat next to hers and it felt like love. I built a wooden model of a boat but only got as far as cutting a big piece of wood into a medium piece of wood. I asked for my ball back and they told me to go away. I climbed up onto the shed and found maybe twenty tennis balls. I was young. 

Care to share?

6 comments:

  1. "I went all the way as far as almost past the end of the street." Exactly! And you were the same as a lot of us!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is brilliant. All of it. I love every single sentence.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's when we're young everything makes sense... 'cause everything is simple and wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Loved this post Kid. It was much easier to take risks, explore and try new things back when we were young or maybe it just seems that way.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beautifully put.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you so much all! This was a weird silly idea/feeling I got last night, and I just went with it. Is very encouraging to see it getting a positive response!

    ReplyDelete