Growing Up (it wasn’t hard – well not all the time only most of it) – Updated (2/3/06)
When you are a scrawny little person, growing is generally not that hard. The only way was up and out. For the other part, yes I was a boy who spent a lot of time with his hand on it. Show me one who doesn’t and I will show you an eunuch.
As a boy/youth I spent my time around Kelmscott/Armadale/Roleystone. Life was simple. Went to primary school at Kelmscott Primary and then Highschool at Armadale – Kelmscott did not yet have a highschool.
Learned to play soccer here (really). Met a coach called Colin Walsh he took me under his wing. Someone recognized some talent within this little kid and nutured it. He also acted as a bit of a mentor. Remember him as a tradesman who ended up running a fish and chip shop in Armadale. God knows what happened to him and his wife but I remember them and that means something – I am sure.
Met some kids. Some of their names I remember (D Bell, Gary/Neil Baverstock, Paul Winchup, John Claffey, John Blakely, David Lague and some other Roleystone boys) but many I don’t. God knows what has happened to them.
Met some girls growing up. Again some I remember, most I don’t because I pretty much went through youth with my eyes closed to girls. I was my own best friend.
Remember having a couple of friendships in Primary School but nothing of a serious nature (Odette Hickson/Nixon – smart as). Another girl – can’t remember her name – lived not far from Odette, had horses which were to provide one of the memorable kid events. Horse riding – steep slope – river. Horse charges away down steep slope and hits brakes, boy – yes you guessed it - goes over the handle bars and ends up in river. Horse was memorable – just stood there and smiled (I’m sure) before walking back to his yard and digging into the feed trough. First, and only horse ride.
Soccer provided me with perhaps my first opportunity to be successful. Although I was little I was fit, dogged and it seems I could play. I made some under age state teams – U14, U15 and U 16’s and got the opportunity to travel to Tasmania, South Australia and Tasmania respectively. Was never the “best” player in the team but was always one of the first picked (mr reliable and mr flexible – play anywhere kind of guy). As with all successful sporting kids you have to have patient, supportive parents. Soccer at that time was a winter sport and my parents (including my mum who never ever saw me play a game) spent endless hours driving me to training and games (thank you).
At school I did enough (or not as the case maybe). I was smart but not studious. As it turns out I did not get enough marks in my leaving to get into the course I wanted to at Uni (Physical Education/Human Movement). As I recall it sport and finally girls got in the way. While I did not achieve great academic results I learnt a lot. I was a reader and this has stood me in good stead throughout my life. I later became known as “the professor” because of this kind of attribute.
Last half of your leaving year is perhaps not the best time to recognise that boys actually should like girls (it’s only natural – well for most people anyway) provided they are not your sister.
There were some girls I really ended up being truly fond of but never went all the way with. Two in particular stick in my mind. My first real love was a beautiful girl called Julie M – came from Mundijong. As is always the case beautiful girls in school typically have an ugly friend for protection (forgive me) but who knows that women may simply have been an ugly duckling (but I don’t think so).
For a long time we were soul mates but I remember the night we decided that we were to remain friends and never to become lovers (idiot). It was at a party – the party was held by a girl named Carol J – and we sat in my car and talked for what seemed hours. It never happened – who knows what might have occurred if I had gone through that door. Julie ended up with a local drop kick (my opinion) and had multiple children from memory. I hope life has been good to her. From memory, I took home one of my pissed loser mates who threw up in the back of my car (idiot). Smelt terrible the next day when he had to clean it up.
Another beautiful girl in my life at that time was called Christine M. She is the only girl I nearly ever fought over. Again this friendship came to nothing sexually (except frustration for me and maybe her). I also had a good relationship with her mother (Helen) and father (Eddy I think) who was an architect/designer. Christine got involved with a WAFL footballer from memory. Again I hope life has been good to her. PS – the guy that nearly got smashed was Jimmy C.
I took Christine to the school ball, but I could only sit on the sidelines and watch – hurt my back playing school yard football. Now that is a story in itself. The deputy headmistress at the school was one big mama with a reputation to match. However, she drove a Datson sports car – you know the type where your bum drags on the ground. Truly, this woman needed a hoist to get in and out of it. On the day I hurt my back so did I as she took me to hospital in it.
Finally, the girl who was my first lover (other than myself) and the reason I lost my focus on year 12 was another very attractive girl with a protective mother (and a missing, policeman father). Her name was Alysson R and we were both virgins. Our first experience was like that I suspect of many others – over too quick, unprotected and not the stuff dreams are made of. But I remember it – it was in the afternoon, at her house. Did I say it was unprotected (yes protection was not big then really – late 1970s) and was that going to turn out to be one big mistake (nearly). She was three weeks late with her period. That was the worst three weeks of my life. I can still remember standing on her front verge the day it finally came – boy was I relieved. The relationship petered out and she rebounded into another blokes arms (irony was he lived at the bottom of my street) and became another local baby making machine.
While I was finishing school I graduated to senior level soccer – another reason for poor academic results. This time the catalyst was a wily Scotsman called Bobby McShane bless him. He encouraged me and one of my mates (John B) to try out at one of the State League team – East Fremantle Tricolore. We were both just 17 and we had to drive to Fremantle for training.
My career was nearly over before it began. Rocked up to pre-season training. Some good players most of them older than us. In those days soccer had a summer night series. The coach at the time – Graham Oughton – was a past player. We both trained hard through the pre-season but getting near to the first game of the night series he comes up to me and gives me the old coach lecture. Went something like this – kid you have trained hard but you are never going to make it in this league. Obviously a good judge of character - not. To be fair to him he says you are welcome to go and try out somewhere else. My response – not unnatural in retrospect as one who generally has not ever shirked a challenge – was how about you let me stay and keep training. Turns out I made the night series team and I then never looked back. Many “better” players than me dropped by the wayside. Lesson in life – Italians/greeks generally have no bottle when the going gets tough they hide or bugger of.
Over the period that all of the above occurred I also learnt to drive. Remember the friends of Dad and Mum (doesn’t it sound odd to say it this way) who met us in Fremantle? Well they had a farm. From when I was about 10-16 I often vacationed there and learnt to drive cars, motorbikes, trucks and tractors – all useful stuff for later life.
Because I failed school I needed to work out a new direction. I took counsel from my parents – my mother in particular – and sat the Government Employment entrance exams. Passed and got a job (in hindsight this is one of my life regrets - i never really had a life without cares or traveled). In between times I worked as a courier for a printing company.
For the record i did pretty much everything we tell you (kids) not to do:
- pinched cigarettes (i only smoked about 1 pack in my whole life but i used to use them to curry favour with my "mates")
- stole the loose change that was lying around
- got caught with my hand on it
Only thing i did not do and never have is take drugs (any sort except medicines).
Work was about to open up the next phase of my life.
