It's been business as usual here in Shikoku of late. Working, marking tests, going to the gym, running (yes, I've got back in the running shoes, next half marathon is on Feb 5th) and being quite absorbed in the book my brother sent me, John Le Carre's "The honourable Schoolboy". It's the sequel to "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy", which I loved (the film was awesome too), so I'm really loving being engrossed in a good story. The only problem is that, by the time I get around to settling down to read, I get sleepy and end up dozing off, which is always annoying.
Talking of annoying, I've been thinking recently about the "it wasn't like that in my day" phenomenon that seems to begin when people turn 30 or so. You know what I mean. You're with a friend and pass some noisy high school girls giggling and generally letting the world know they're there in their own inimitable, high-pitched fashion. Your friend goes into a rant about how annoying schoolkids are when they're really loud. You agree but point out that you were probably just as loud at the same age. "Well, I wasn't," your friend huffs, "I would never have carried on like that when I was a kid."
Oh really? You were a regular "seen and not heard" little angel, were you? Now, I was a good kid. Maybe a bit whiny and spoilt (I blame the parents ;P), but, basically a good kid. Not a hoodie, or a ruffian, or even a rioter. Just a normal teenage girl, with ahir like Hermoine in Harry Potter. And I can tell you for a fact that my friends and I, when we got together, were exceedingly noisy, and giggly, and probably irritated the living daylights out of anyone over the age of 17, and even some younger. We were teenage girls, being giggly and high-pitched is what teenage girls do (although, I will say that Japanese teenage girls take top world ranking in high pitched-ness). Although, to talk with people my age now, you'd think everyone was totally silent until the age of 20, and then only spoke in a library-appropriate whisper.
Mind you, as this has clearly been going on for generations, I'm pretty sure someone once told my parents that the world was doomed if their generation was in charge, it's unlikely to stop. So the next time someone who has the audacity to be younger than me does something I consider bad form, I'm going to tut in a nice loud voice and tell the world, "It wasn't like that in my day. We had manners". Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
"Kids these days" is a myth often.... The murder rate in most major U.S. cities was higher when I was in School as was drunk driving deaths caused by minors.
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed reading this post, Sarah - said in a library-appropriate whisper.
ReplyDeleteI fall asleep when I read too. It drives me insane. Last night, I went to bed at 8 because I wanted to just lie down in a warm bed with my book. I read about a page and drifted off. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes. I do find teenage girls to probably be the most annoying on the planet. No, I don't think I was a squealer like that when I was a teenager. I do know that I made um...poor choices. Smiling.