I am glad that I came of age in the 1980’s. High school was just as horrible then as it is now, but I am glad that I grew up in a gentler time. I was bullied and picked on mercilessly. It goes with the territory when you grow up in a rough government housing complex sporting a Duran Duran haircut and a Frankie-Say-Relax t-shirt.
However, I didn’t have social media to exasperate my daily torment. My old neighbourhood, merely known as a rough back then, has morphed into a bleak drug plagued area. And thankfully I no longer look to John Taylor or Holly Johnson for fashion inspiration.
Even thought you grow into adulthood, the effects of bullying stays with you. I am one of the lucky ones though. Although the bullying made me shy and introverted back them , I overcame it. But there is still a part of me that likes to appease and reassure my fourteen year old self for all of the crap she had to take on a daily basis.
For those of you who read my blog, (by the way, many thanks to all three of you), you know that I met The Fella in high school but was unable to pursue my feelings for him because of my crippling shyness. To ease my teen angst I would lose myself in my walkman with the help of Heaven 17, Depeche Mode, Aztec Camera and China Crisis.
On Monday night I was able to make it up to this girl. I went to see China Crisis with The Fella at This Ain’t Hollywood. She was hyperventilating at the fact that the guitarist, Eddie, and Michael Williams from Much Music (an 80’s dream come true) were standing beside the adult me at the bar before the show. She was also treated to an amazing show. China Crisis was absolutely brilliant!
At the end of the night, The Fella went outside to call a cab while I went in the washroom. When I came out who is walking towards me but Eddie. The fourteen year old in my head was chanting “ohmygodohmygodoymygod”. The adult me reached out and touched him on the arm. He stopped and I thanked him for a great show and for making great music that meant so much to me thirty years ago in high school (being a total charmer he said, “thirty years ago? What were you two in high school?”…oh, bless him!). I told him how much it meant being at the show with The Fella and told him that we met in high school but didn’t connect until twenty six years later. He kissed me on the cheek and told me that was a lovely story. The Fella had come back inside and I introduced him and he was kissed on the cheek as well and congratulated on our lovely story. Sigh!
Yes, I think I made it up to my fourteen year old in spades.
