Not sure if this will be some kind of internet meme thing, but today I got me thinking about the most important/significant school lesson I ever had. Not from the greatest teacher, but the thing we learnt has made a big chunk of the man I am today.
It was a geography lesson, the teacher was a bit of a donkey, more interested in teaching football than geography and I guess he must have been mighty hungover in class on several occasions. Much of the geography he taught was on data collection and statistical analysis. We were thirteen or fourteen year olds in a big expensive school, we all lived up to twenty miles away from the school.
On this one occasion he gave us a task, we were to draw a map of our route to and from school.
But sir, we're not cartographers, how are we supposed to know the routes? Can we trace from an A to Z or the road atlas.
No we were to draw it from memory, the same route we taken to school every day for the past three years.
It was a hell of a task. Folk were gazing out of the window in despair. I remember Tom Binns's map just had the first mile or so, then an area labelled 'cloud of uncertainty', then he arrived outside the school.
But it made me wonder, had I had my eyes closed for so long. Did I actually not know where I was? It made me think more carefully, playing back the journey that I took every day. How did I get where I am. Can I retrace my steps just in my head?
Its not like the London Underground where you get on the train, then its just darkness all round until the next stop. God knows what the route is.
Then again, with the London Underground, can you remember the sequence of the stations on the line you take?
Can you remember the sequence of the streets on a Monopoly board?
So, aye. Mr Brennan's Geography class where we had to draw our own route to school, that was the most significant lesson I had at school.
Showing posts with label meme. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meme. Show all posts
Saturday, 10 July 2010
Sunday, 10 January 2010
New Year's Resolutions status update
So, after a week, how have I been getting on with my New Year's resolutions:-
- Play a gig in London
Haven't even touched my guitar this year, but I did promise my girlfriend I'd write a song about her. - Find a job
Updated my CV once and had a look at reed.co.uk - Build my own audio pre amp
Had a look on Maplin and RS com for that preamp kit they used to sell. - 100+ pageviews a day here
Did it for a few days, but it's kind of tailed off now. Having said that, average views has gone up from 70-ish last month to 85 this year. - Reduce my debts by more than 50%
Jesus wept, the other day my gas got connected again, and I ended up spending £8 on one day's worth of heating. £8, that's like two hours work for me. So I'm going to have to wear my warm clothes in the house more and turn the heating off. - Mercilessly crush my enemies
I did a bit of a project plan for this, but have failed to identify any realistic external enemies. - Run 10K in less that 25 minutes
Its a bit cold out, but I did see my running shoes in my wardrobe the other day.
Sunday, 3 January 2010
New years resolutions
For 2010 I hereby resolve to:-
- Play a gig in London in front of people who've paid to come in
- Find a
newjob with better hours that's a bit more career-orientated rather than just rent-paying - Build my own audio pre amp
- Draw more traffic to this blog (+100 pageviews a day)
- Reduce my debts by more than 50% (£3,500)
- Mercilessly crush my enemies
- Run 10K in less that 25 minutes
Sunday, 20 December 2009
Letter to my Sixteen year old self
There's a bit of a meme going round, writing to your 16 year old self. I haven't been tagged, but I was bored in the factory during my break.
Dear Boris 1994,
Try not to freak out, but this is a letter from 15 years in the future.
Sorry we couldn't meet in person, but it doesn't work like that. Here, use these lottery numbers every week 1, 7, 22, 25, 31 and 47, it should turn out just fine.
In terms of advice, it all turn out okay, the girl on the bus is actually quite nice to talk to if you don't freak her out, and at Nosni's New Year party, hold onto the blond girl tightly.
Don't let any inhibitions stop you from doing stuff, cos frankly at your age you rule. You don't realise it but even the trendy girls think you're pretty cool too. Its not all about being cool, but until you get a degree and the internet really gets going, its all you've got.
Also, in 1998 when you bleach your hair, keep more photos, and in 2002, hold onto that blonde girl tightly too. I don't mean in the sexy sense, I mean in that knight in shining armour way you always imagine. You can't save everyone but hold onto people makes you feel better.
Oh, and while we're toying with the directions of time, put more of your nan's inheritance into gold.
Finally, if you ever see Big Tom outside a Sainsburys, give him a big manly hug. And try to stay in touch with more of you schoolfriends.
That's about all I can say right now, times will be good and times will be bad, try to remember the good times more.
See you in the mirror in fifteen years right.
Chris Gilmour 2009
Now, as is kind of standard practice with these things I tag the following bloggers to write a similar post:-
Other bloggish folk who've done this letter to their 16 year old self include:-
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