Ball girl

Being something like a Ball Girl was the kind of thing I always looked to be and indeed many of the girls I envied were in their own ways just that.

Joanne's wood

Fall at least in my area is almost coming to an end with the leaves having changed colour dropping on to the wood like a vast carpet of vivid colour so I thought I'd share with you this week this picture of Wild Berries taken in my local woodland.
As well, the acorns are falling which is great news for Squirrels, but not so good if you get several underneath of your feet  which happened to me on Tuesday when I was out walking!
Before I forget, I'd like to say thanks for all five comments on last weeks blog entry the second largest as that went out to the little community exclusively and for the nice comments elsewhere for the photograph of me as that was a last minute touch!

Caught out, Jo?

Our school was very much old school, a Victorian building with traditional wooden desks with an inkwell for your fountain pen as by the age of Nine we had to jolly well master not just joined up writing but using an ink pen for all lessons involving writing, taking responsibility to fill them up by ourselves.
There were implements for your teacher to correct you with although going to the Head Teacher for the Paddle or Cane was more regular but having something set out maybe having to stand with your hands on your head so all the other children knew you were gonna get punished was very common place to shame you in front of the class.

Taking your turn

Let's say we did this school role playing thing, this would be a dead ringer for one very memorable part of my growing up (allegedly) in that era, having to wait outside of the Headmaster or Principals office for a paddling where one would be leaving in tears you were next and the one after having heard what happened before, isn't taking it so well.
Maybe it's her first time up for a Paddling and perhaps even mindful was she tries to explain to her parents just why sitting down seems so awkward today with the pain her bottom is having to live  with.
My own head teacher did this to a number of times but actually I loved him to pieces even naming the teddy bear I slept with after him cos he genuinely cared for you even part of that was having to correct your behaviour and he did heaps to help me in school, made sure bullies got proper punished and always made time to talk to us not as equals because he was an Adult Authority figure and I was a a child in his care but as a very caring man. I cried buckets full when he died.

Being your complete self

This upcoming week, I'll be off on an adventure and so need to get myself prepared for it in the next few days so I'll have a little less spare time for blogging and that although I'm looking forward to it.
Looking around the internet as you do, I saw this captioned image  - as you'll know I don't generally do captions - but in a way it gets to the heart of the matter. 
We'd all agree she's physically a grown up by appearance but what of the things she does, the things that make her happy? Sat here, I'm thinking she could easily of been like me in my late teens and twenties, looking sophisticated but wanting to play games, running around clutching her teddy.
And that's really the thing, this idea that everything you do once your chronological age gets past 14 if you're lucky something funny happens to how you're expected to behave, like everything is meant to purposeful, serious and unless you're a parent or grandparent and get the chance to relive your childhood with children you can't be seen do anything that's not.
You're a groan up!
Really it's so silly and actually detrimental to our own well-being emotionally (something that is increasingly being recognized by experts in the field)  that we need to say no to it.
Be responsible where it matters but don't jettison what makes you happy in the process.

Ready and waiting for you, Miss

Sometimes the school girl role playing idea comes up at various places sometimes more a kind work of fiction story, sometimes a fantasy but I rather wonder what would really happen if you did go to one of the few 'Role Playing' schools for a weekend or so or what it might be like to live with person who'd treat me like that schoolgirl.
Such an approach may involve setting out a uniform for me to have to put on as they'd have authority over me like in thi picture complete with say a Hairbrush for spanking me with