...or it will do if I don't make this very short.
Anyway, it's 1993. I'm walking across the car park of Royal Holloway and Bedford New College in Egham, Surrey, with my boyfriend of the time. It's early evening, autumn time. He's carrying something, probably white camouflage netting. None of this is particularly interesting. The important thing is that as we're walking across the car park, I tell him that I'm happier than I've ever been.
The odd thing is that I don't have any memories of ever saying this at any other point in my life, even though I *must* have, surely. It's such an unremarkable occasion on which to have come out with it, walking across a car park. And if you asked me to look back on my life* and point out a time when I was truly happy, my first choice probably wouldn't be the autumn of 1993. But I remember saying it, so I know that I was.
Which is why I want to say now very quickly, because I tend to avoid sentimental stuff if at all possible, that right now, January 2006, I'm probably happier than I've ever been. There isn't anyone around to tell this to, so I'll just note it down here, and then in thirteen years' time, I'll remember (or - hey - read it in my archive), and know that I was.
Ahem. As you were.
* My life to date, I mean. Christ, I make it sound like I'm on my deathbed. I'm not. Why, quite a lot of my hair is still its natural colour. Not that I can actually really remember now what that was. I'll stop now, I'm not making it any better.
Well, go you. More of this please god(ess). On second thoughts, continue ignoring us all.
ReplyDeleteHave you left the top off the nail varnish?
ReplyDeleteThat used to send me all funny, in my goth days.
Great times.
Promise you're not going to turn round and say "Gotcha!"
ReplyDeleteExcessively pleased for you though. Is any form of netting involved?
Bella: Ahhh, thank you. It's lovely to see you, as always.
ReplyDeleteJames: My mind may have turned momentarily to mush due to the excessive consumption of peppermint tea. Which is kind of like snakebite and black for the over 30s, but without the drunkenness or the terrible stains.
Cello: I was attempting to think of some hilarious internet-related gag, but failed miserably. So, in short, no. No forms of netting are implicated in my present happiness.
Well according to The Beep, Tuesday was officially the most depressing day in the year so you must be onto a good thing.
ReplyDeleteAnd very nice to hear it.
always prepared to read that... and better than geoff dyer...
ReplyDeletei'm happy too
x
Aww, that's good to hear.
ReplyDeleteYou should go to Cannes to celebrate - they've got some fabulous beach restaurants
As I said on my blog a week or so ago, I seem strangely happy at the moment, despite the gloom all around me.
ReplyDeletePerhaps we've picked up a virus from the internet.
Ah yes, happiness as illness: an excellent subject for a little monograph if ever there were.
ReplyDeleteNB Does anyone have any idea of the appropriate word count for a little monograph? I wouldn't want to write one and then find out that it's too little, or - heaven forbid - not little enough.
Great to hear it though, Dave. More of this sort of thing!
TR: I hear Cannes is very nice at this time of year. Almost as nice as San Francisco...
Hmm. I was at that college, at around that time. Never heard anyone say that though, in car parks or elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteBloody hell, were you really? Did you ever attend any "club" nights hosted by the Naked Peach? Better still, were you ever a member of the - ahem - Naked Peach Collective?
ReplyDeleteAhh, the early 90s, eh? Happy days. Official.
Wednesdays, for reasons already moaned about, are the worst day of my week. But this is a ray of brightness shining into my gloom. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteBeep, I keep meaning to ask, what's the significance of the hyphen in your name? Or just your name in general, really?
ReplyDeletethat's what i'd like to know too, beep. also i have to say that your picture scares me.
ReplyDeletepats - happinness rocks. in your face, misery. yeah.
Glad you've got something to smile about. Here's a smile from me too :-)
ReplyDeleteWe're touched. Yes we are.
ReplyDeleteI must report that I'm not particularly unhappy for a change and that is just as significant.
Woo! Massive outbreak of joy! Official!
ReplyDeleteIn your face, bird flu.
Good for you, P!
ReplyDeleteI have no memory of the Naked Peach. I do remember seeing Bill Hicks *twice*, before anyone had heard of him, thanks to the comedy-booker of the college being (then) visionary genius/ (now) clip-show mouth-for-hire. The only other words I can recall from the period are Boog, and possibly Tube. It's hazy.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous up there was me. Apologies.
ReplyDeleteSadly, though, as with most things, I have no recollection of saying any funny/poingant things in car parks or otherwise in 1993.Although I'm sure I must have.
ReplyDeleteSurely.
Patroclus and Surly - it's so monumentally dull (how the Beep got his name) that it might even make a post one day.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the photo SG. It's my stony face. I'll try and find one of me smiling. Not sure they've made a camera fast enough to catch one though....
The hyphen? Mmmm. Thinks.
Dash, I forget.
I've never been happy for more than a few seconds at a time since I was about 8 years old, but I'm a lot less miserable than I was in 1993, which is probably some sort of positive progress. At this rate I should be laughing my socks off by the time I'm 90.
ReplyDeleteEr, anyway, best of luck...
I was fairly miserable in 1993 due to new baby/no sleep/no money etc, but it's got better since then. No netting involved anywhere though disappointingly
ReplyDeleteSG. New image for you. Still no smile though. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely an internet virus of some kind. I have a raging cold and haven't slept properly since the weekend, I have far too much work and too little money, and bureaucratic types are giving me hell, plus it's a Big Romantic Anniversary for me and Beloved's on night shift, so by rights I should be sulking. Instead, remarkably perky. Yay the illogical happy! Take that, January!
ReplyDeleteChuffy!:
ReplyDelete>>The only other words I can recall from the period are Boog, and possibly Tube. It's hazy.<<
I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, but maybe that's because I didn't actually "go to" RHBNC so much as "hang around" it (mainly in its car parks) after I graduated.
If it's that hazy, there's a good chance you *were* in the Naked Peach Collective, possibly without knowing it. I feel some sort of secret handshake is in order.
Where, incidentally, does one use white camouflage netting? Snowy regions, presumably?
ReplyDeleteJust wondered.
(Still smiling, despite some hard knocks this month.)
>>Where, incidentally, does one use white camouflage netting?<<
ReplyDeleteAnywhere where there's an appreciable amount of UV lighting and a number of people prepared to indulge in the consumption of class A narcotics.
But otherwise, yes, in snowy regions.
Ah. Sheltered life, you see.
ReplyDeleteI mean about class A drugs, not hiding under netting.
Obviously.
beep - somehow that is scarier.
ReplyDeleteThere's just no pleasing some people. Stomps off to another place to say that he finds P's image a bit scary as it goes.
ReplyDeleteHmmm: Mluxoqu. Says it all really.
stomp, stomp, stomp
I think the Beep now looks like Captain Sensible in the early days of the Damned (not that will mean much to anyone else because I'm the only old git here).
ReplyDeleteI think you're right, Betty, although my only memories of Captain Sensible are from the (much later) Happy Talk. This might be for the best, I don't know.
ReplyDeleteI like Beep's new picture better, because it's made me laugh about 20 times today. But that might be because I'm sleep-deprived, over-caffeinated and somewhat hysterical.
ohhhh yeah!
ReplyDeletethanks betty. i'm not scared any more. by the way, aren't you up for an award?
PP, that's quite a spooky coincidence all the same. Shame about the lack of netting and pretty boys, though. How our higher education institutions have declined, eh?
ReplyDeleteI love it when you Brits get all emotional ...the unrestrained joy is just leaping off the page :-)
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I'm glad for you. Its a monumental thing, to be happy.....a state that many never seem to achieve.
>>the unrestrained joy is just leaping off the page :-)<<
ReplyDeleteAh, an American deploying sarcasm - it's like cultural exchange day!
The Beep's original picture looks exactly like Ian Holm as the android in Alien after they'd knocked him about a bit and his semi-detached head was still talking as white goo bled out of him. Hence the creepiness, I would hazard.
ReplyDeleteI have of late, but wherefore I know not, lost all my mirth. Iwant it back!
ReplyDeleteuh, please don't call me an American. I may have to come over there and seriously undermine your level of happiness P!!!!
ReplyDeleteWow, neither you are. I'm very, very sorry about that. It's the little American flag in the statcounter that was confusing me... bloody statcounter. Apologies once again.
ReplyDeleteFuck it all, let's go to SF. I know a great song we can sing on the plane...
ReplyDeleteDo we only really know one line of it? Is that going to stop us singing it non-stop for 11 hours, to the delight of the other passengers?
ReplyDeleteNo cause for alarm P. :) Bloody statcounter. Does it think there is only one country in North America I wonder?
ReplyDeleteI must say I was somewhat confused to called an American because you've never heard me speak or anything. (You would know the Canadian content by the liberal sprinkling of 'eh?' throughout everything I say.)
are you letting this one get up to fifty before posting another one, pats?
ReplyDeletei was about to say "what, even the arlo guthrie one?". then i remembered that was about los angeles.
ReplyDeletethere, that's 50. come on then.
Morning all, terribly busy...
ReplyDeleteand there i was thinking it was scarborough fair ...
ReplyDeletebloody hell
ReplyDeleteonce again, i have missed out on the party when all i was doing instead was threading some large wooden beads onto a thick piece of string and a stick with ken bruce on in the background
I'm jealous of the amount of comments you get - 53! Wow! I'm off to sulk...
ReplyDeletehere I am skulking back in to mention that P called me an American based on the fact that I do show up as from American when I'm on my work computer. That's where they're located. So, I am embarrassed. Sorry P. Now, I should look like a Canadian on Stat counter because I'm at home. *cringe* she apologized and everything and now I feel like a heel.
ReplyDelete