Thought-Theatre: Pure West

So here's a bunch of words that go together to make a vague paragraph.

Me and my family were at the house of another family for possibly some kind of dinner/BBQ. It was dusk, a tad chilly, and there were a few clouds in the sky. I have no idea who these people were, and I never saw them again after this. Being the awesome 5 year old I was, I wore my Batman costume there (which was really just a crappy felt thing with floppy bat-horns and a cool cape). One of the boys there (I believe there were 3, excluding me and Matt) wanted me to play army men with him, and he had a toy gun and I think I had nothing, but he put a jumper around his neck to be like a cape to match mine. Mine was of course better, but he was awesome for doing it!

And that's everything I remember about that.

Thought-Theatre: The Ghost

This is sort of not an IRL memory, but a dream/nightmare I had that I remember rather clearly (well, kind of).

So my mum, my dad, my brother, and I were at a beach that I'm sure doesn't exist. And it was night time - leading more towards midnight or something. A lot of people were also at the beach. We were all just there for fun, and my family was building a sandcastle. The whole location was pretty illuminated by the moonlight, but as we were building the sandcastle other people started screaming in fear. I looked up to the sky and where the moon should have been was the image of a swirling ghost. It wasn't moving, just sitting there looking freaky with an evil smile. I remember mum getting up and telling us that we needed to go quickly, and everyone was running towards the carpark to leave. Oh, there was also a lot of stars in the sky.

I have never forgotten that.

Thought-Theatre: Once a Champion, Always a Champion

Back in the day I used to go to Primary School. The first primary school I went to in fact was Illawarra Primary School in Blackmans Bay when I was 5. To get to that school I had to catch a bus, and as I mentioned in my last post on here our bus stop was under a pine-needle tree where we would line up our bags and play handball on the footpath.

I don't remember playing handball a lot, though, as I always felt intimidated by the bigger kids, and every time I did play I lost. However, there was this one time where I was in kings (second from ace) - by default of course - and I was versing my brother's friend Isaac (who went to a different school). We were having a rally, and I bet if I saw the game now it would have been a pretty pathetic rally, but it was intense for me. I think you can already guess what went down, but in the end the ball started getting lower and I scundered him somehow, and moved up to ace! When it happened, the people watching did their "oooooh!" of disgression and semi-cheered for me. Made me feel pretty damn good about myself.

And that skill has transferred to the current day, as you all know that I own everyone in handball. :-D

Thought-Theatre: School Bus Ride

So it was sometime during either 2000 or 2001 - I don’t remember exactly. It was another school day, and a bunch of kids around my brother’s age (at the time, which was about 11 or 12), my brother, and I were gathered around the tree where we would line up our bags and wait for the bus. The line of bags was one of those ‘food chain’ things, where the closer you were to the front of the line the better you were; despite the fact we would all get on the bus with plenty of room to spare (we were the first stop). While we waited, we would usually play handball on the footpath. But this time when the bus turned up, we had a different bus driver. I don’t remember what he looked like, but I do think he had a grey beard/hair and possibly glasses. Much like the kids we were, this was an exciting new experience! So, we got on the bus with joy that day.

Now, like all new bus drivers, they have no idea where they are going. So, it was one of those things where the bus driver would ask the kids for directions to the other stops before school. There was this one kid who was on the bus who I knew fairly well - and by that I mean I had seen him on the bus for pretty much my whole school bus career. Anyway, I can’t remember his name or his appearance, but I think he was fairly olive-skinned and his hair was short and dark. He was one of the ‘clowns’ of the bus. I remember when we came to an intersection he said “You just keep going through here.”, then a car came and of course we had to give-way, but then he made the whole bus laugh by saying “Don’t worry about that car, just go straight through.”

Up ahead of that intersection was the stop of some weird anti-social kid who looked like he didn’t have any friends except for the members of the AV club. It’s pretty mean, but he didn’t reply to us when we tried to talk to him.

The only thing I remember of the rest of that bus trip was when that olive-skinned kid gave up and so I got to get int he front seat (another simple joy!) and tell him where to go. The rest is a bit of a blur.

I wonder if my brother remembers this as good as I do..?

Thought-Theatre: Little Athletics

This one (and the very next one) are entries I had on my Tumblr page originally, that I thought I'd bring over here.

Thought I’d do something a little different this time. I’m going to start something called ‘thought-theatre’, which is where I’ll recount a memory of my childhood. I figured it was a little more interesting than what I didn’t learn in history class.

So, back when I was about 5 or 6 I used to do little athletics. I think I only did it because my brother did. Oddly enough, the only thing I remember doing was races - and sometimes races with those tiny little hurdles anyone could easily step over. Probably the best memory I have of little athletics was when I would always finish last out of 5 people. I didn’t care though, because I was having fun (well, at least I think I was). However, there was one day where we all lined up for the beginning of the race, and when the gun went off I ran as fast as I could. I finished 4th instead of 5th for once! I don’t remember who I beat, but all I know is I was super excited to show mum the little metal plate that said ‘4’ on it.

One last thing I remember of it was there was this red-headed kid (and I think he had curls) and he would always get those 5-coloured python lollies from the canteen. I remember one night we did it, I wanted one too, so I got one! I think that day we did discus.

That’s pretty much all I remember about my little athletics career.

Thought-Theatre: Sky Alight

I thought I already wrote about this one, but apparently not.

There used to be (well, I guess it still exists) a street behind our house, which I believe was the main road of Huntingfield, the suburb-place I used to live. One afternoon, mum and I were walking down that street. Not sure why. We were about 50m past the giant Vodafone call centre, just about to turn into the housing area where Liam lived, when I looked up to the sky and saw that it was an orange tinge and the clouds were pink - if you don't think this is possible, bam. I remember asking mum what that meant, and she said "It means it's going to be a good day tomorrow." And to this day I still think that every time I see the sky like that.

This is probably one of my favourite memories evar.

Thought-Theatre: Liam

So, I used to have this friend called Liam. He was a blonde, chubby kid with glasses that everyone picked on and called "Four-Eyes". I must have been one of his only friends. I'm now going to type words about everything I remember about this kid. These are in no order, by the way.

He used to live a couple of blocks away from me with his mum and little brother (about 3 years younger than him) down near an area where they were building new houses.

I used to go over to his house uninvited sometimes to hang out with him on weekends, and his mum would always make us ham and cheese toasted sandwiches. One time Liam's little brother didn't want to eat his crusts, and it was either me or his mum that told him they will make your hair curly - I then felt the back of my hair and it was starting to curl over the little velcro part of my Pokemon cap.

One time I went over to his house and no one answered the door. I then saw his mum coming back home with the little brother in a pram, and I asked where Liam was. She told me he should be inside, but when no one was there we got worried and went looking for him in the bushland behind a huge Vodafone call centre. He wasn't there, but when we went back to the house we was standing at the front door in his gumboots, soaking wet from the waist down and crying. He told us that the big kids told him to jump into the pond (most likely so he could get on their good side).

He was on my school bus one morning and I was sitting next to him. Near the end of the bus trip (literally about 30 seconds from the school), my brother and his friends started teasing him and calling him names. Being the huge prick that I am, I joined in and I remember saying "Yeah, four-eyes!" - *feels bad*

One afternoon I was at his house under a tarp which also had a kiddie pool under it. We were looking at all of the Pokemon things that his grandparents got for him while they were somewhere. I don't remember what I traded with him, but I got his Pokemon textas and a Staryu figure (one I always wanted), and I remember trying to rip the little blue stand it was on because it looked stupid, but then Liam took it off me and said "No, don't do that, it's a surfboard!" and gave it back to me. When I got home I asked dad to cut it off. Mission: accomplished.

One night I got out of the shower (nothing sexy coming up) and mum called me into the lounge room. I told her I'd be right there. As I walked out of the bathroom across to mum's room with a towel around my dangley bits (no idea why I went to mum's room) the corner of my eye caught Liam and his mum and little brother there waiting for me. Shocked and confused, I walked out (dressed) and they confronted me about making fun of him. I denied everything, despite being guilty of being an utter prick to him and I think he started crying.

There used to be a fruit and vege shop connected to a small deli (which has now probably been demolished for that new shopping mall they built a couple of years ago) and I saw him in there once. I don't remember who was hanging off one of those rides you put $1 in and they start rocking back and forth (I think it was him), and he said hey to me while I was chewing strawberry Hubba Bubba. It was pretty awkward.

I have no idea what these figures were called, but they might have been by Fisher Price or Playskool. Either way, we were playing with his fireman and policeman (maybe) figures of that line, and I asked to borrow them, which was successful, because they reminded me of Mario and Luigi and I wanted to pretend they were while playing with them at home - shut up. And yes, I gave them back (you presumptuous bastards).

I once brought over my (well, Matt's) VHS of The Little Engine That Could and we watched it. I then think I left it at his house. I never saw it again.

I once watched the start of the real life Mario and Luigi movie at his house. It was so boring I had to pretend I had to be back at a certain time (coincidentally the current time). He also tried to feed me the lie that the Mario Bros.' last name was "Mario", making their names Mario Mario and Luigi Mario. A very small part of me believed it. Sadly.

Recently (and by recently I mean back then) I was playing one of the Donkey Kong games for the SNES we borrowed from my brother's friend Andrew an awful lot, and I remember wanting to go outside in my cheap Batman costume and pretend to swim through green water/acid. He showed up, and I made him play with me.

And that's pretty much everything I can remember about him. If I think of more, I shall add them. kthxbai.

Thought-Theatre: Thug Lovin'

Very short one here. I was 6 or 7 (leaning more towards 7) and a few of my friends at school were collecting AFL trading cards, so naturally I wanted to start collecting some too, and I actually rather enjoyed them. I remember the first pack I ever bought was from Chickenfeed (a Tasmanian Go-Lo type shop) and I think I got average pulls. I was standing out the front of the shop looking at them when one of the big high school boys on my bus came up to me and asked if I pulled a gold one. Proudly, I showed him a silver foil one (you know, the ones you get in every pack) and he just said "Oh" and walked off. I was pretty flattered that he talked to me (in a completely heterosexual way).

Later that year I also remember stealing a gold foil one from one of the twins in my class. It was my first ever gold foil card. And I promise I didn't steal anything else ever. Don't judge me.

Thought-Theatre: Elite Encounter

This is one of my favourites actually, mainly because it's one of the only times I clearly remember me and my brother bonding by will. Gather 'round my friends, and I shall tell you a tale.

Fairly sure it was early 2001, which would make me 7 (6 if it was before my birthday), and mum and I were grocery shopping at Purity (now Woolworths), like we did every Saturday. We were just about at the end of journey, when as we were walking down the first aisle of the refrigerated goods (I remember the frozen yoghurt was in a freezer to my right as we were heading towards the registers) mum got a phone call from Matt. Like any mum, she sounded worried and had that "what's wrong" tone to her voice. Seconds after answering, she let out a surprised "Oh, okay." and handed me the mobile. He had called to tell me that he had beaten Giovani on Pokemon Stadium and that a new castle appeared (Elite Four). I was extremely excited! Mainly because we had spent eons of time trying to beat Giovani, and we had no idea what that castle could have been (at this stage I didn't have the Gameboy games so I couldn't guess that it was the Elite Four).

I gave the phone back to mum and told her all about it, even though I knew she had no idea what the hell I was on about. I ordered her to speed up this shopping abomination and speed home so I could see what Matt was telling me about. And then the memory goes blank there.

It's weird, I remember where we were in the aisle so clearly.