When I was at school, PE/Physical Education was a subject you got given, whether you liked it or not.
The part that always used to amaze me was that the PE Teacher, was always the largest (weight) person on the staff body. She always used to wear that stupid matching track suit which made you think that she might have once coached or done hockey, or maybe women’s wrestling.
Her hair style was usually something that you would get done at the barber.
You were always just a little bit suspicious as to her sexual orientation. You did not actually know what “sexual orientation” meant, but you were still a bit suspicious that things were not quite as they should be.
Personally I had no qualms about PE – I did not love it, but I sort of got by. I did sport most days, so a bit of running around on the field during school time was no real issue. (if we exclude the horror I had to go through when changing…. I developed really late ….. it was all a bit tragic)
You always had to wear the most ridiculous clothes loosely terms as your PE uniform. It even made skinny pretty girls look like they had a camel toe and a hunchback.
It was all in all just not attractive. In was in a coed school from standard 6 – 8 so that was also its own set of torture.
But this was the same era that gave you Dynasty and Sue Ellen on Dallas, so abysmal fashion decisions were pretty much the norm.
The thing I hated about PE, and I think has mentally scarred me for life was when Ms PE Teacher wanted the class to play a team game.
Everyone would mill around, then she would call out two random girl’s names “Sharon” (I was of the generation where there would be between 1 – 3 Sharons per grade) and “Leeanne” – then Sharon and Leeanne would each pick a girl for their teams.
You know all the girls they liked, who were popular with them.
As each name got called out, there would be some squealing and maybe hugging as the girls would go and huddle behind either Sharon and Leeanne, and stand and smirk at the group of girls who had not been picked i.e. me.
There I would stand “quietly begging” that I got chosen – please choose me, please choose me, I promise to catch/hit the ball. Promise!!!
See I can jump. See I can run. Look Janet Look!!
You would want to edge together with all the girls “not yet chosen” so there was safety in numbers, and at the same time you did not want to stand near anyone who was really unpopular in case you were tainted with the cooties.
The result was a mass of girls sort of twitching and having that look of nervous anticipation combined with rampantly unreliable hormones, and too tight fitting shorty shorts and a vest number!
I hated the fact that I might be the last one left, and not really chosen as much as being a team member by default. If I was chosen by Sharon or Leeanne then I would also go and stand in that rather selfish little group behind and smirk and the group of “unpopular” girls who had not been selected.
There are few things worse than being the kid who stands there last and has to be in either of the team – it’s lonely and it is so painful being “that kid.”
The fear of that is enough to sympathise (and envy) girl who always said she was having her period or had a note saying she did not have to do PE. There were usually 3 – 4 of them.
My friend Claudine Steyn and Joanne Mustoe did not EVER do PE. I have no idea how one has a period that long.
I realise I am trying to link two rather vague points to each other here so bear with me and I stumble forward – but for the love of gd, please go and nominate me – the 2nd Annual Mommy Blogger Competition 2012 is on, and I am having that nervous shuffling on a field feeling again.
Mommy bloggers have had a bit of a bad rap at the last Blogger Awards, so we are all a bit desperate for anything that makes us say “winner, winner, chicken dinner” right now – trust me we would get excited if the prize was a McNugget Happy Meal + a toy!
I have no illusions about winning.
There are far better mommy bloggers out there with moms who really “sweat” and work their blogs, and do really pretty things and well make a huge effort.
I am attempting to appear that this sort of thing does not bother nor interest me. You know being jaded and all. And all.
I am a fair weather blogger, and I do not try very hard to remain popular or clearly attract sponsors! Clearly the idea of me associating with a brand has brand managers and communication managers developing symptoms of thrush (the itch and the part where it hurts when you pee!)
I have no real drive to run around and pimp my “please vote for me” all over Facebook and every other place you can beg for a vote, but I just don’t want to be the fat pimply kid who does not get picked for PE teams by Sharon and Leeanne.
I don’t have to win, but I just don’t want to be left on the field like a total loser!! Cheese and Rice, it is like primary school again!
<link for voting – http://www.kidzworld.co.za/mommy-blogger-competition.htm>
