Further Readings (optional)

Ok, I should be finalising my final assignment but I have to write about my last class for the semester. The class was Theory and Writing and we broke into groups to workshop some final pieces. In our group we had Songstar, Merman, Lady Grimm, K, Detective, Beetle and Flea. Of course I was in there too and we worked through the writing of Kafka, Flea and Detective after she joined us from the other group. We had a laugh and gave good feedback about how the Flea should put in the line ‘Kafka leaves’ into her story but we couldn’t figure out were ‘I need sausage’ would fit in.

The Detective left feeling a little happier, I think. We enjoyed her story about 80s kidnappings and the resulting investigation. There were no funny phases she wanted us to work in.

K’s story was written in the style of Kafka, funnily enough and the only suggestion we could come up with was maybe less Kafka style long slow passages. Other wise we all enjoyed it, especially the off the wall references to Santa’s reindeer.

After class was over, most of us adjourned to the pub for the traditional end of semester goodbye drink. We were joined by our lecturer The Poet. It’s funny, in general, how different people are in class compared to outside. The Poet is pretty much the same and he even admitted that he would have been happy to go drinking with us after every class but as a lecturer he ‘has to retain a distance’. After most of the group had drifted off (‘to complete my assignment’) it was just the Poet, Flea and I left and the subject turned back to theory’s.

So I revealed a theory that I have spoken about to Edna, Sally and Hubby at different times usually in relation to the attractiveness of those around us. I tried to say that I believe we react to theory in relation to what we are exposed to as children. For example on the attractiveness aspect, I grew up with white northern Europeans and Jamaicans, but very few Asian, Middle Eastern or Southern Europeans. In general I don’t find these groups attractive. Is this because I’m racist, it's genetic or just ‘cause I didn’t grow up around them?

I grew up exposed to the art of Constable and Van Gogh, but rebelled against Constable because I found his work nicely executed, but lacking imagination. Van Gogh saw things around him in a bent way and with amazing colour so I grew to love the one lobed Vincent and other abstract art such as Picasso, Matisse, Warhol and Pollock. Is this because I was able to form an opinion about art at an early age or because I liked colour or because Constable isn't really that good?

Book wise I was never really exposed too much except the Encyclopaedia Britannica and Reader Digest. I grew to love reading anything to the point where I can quite safely say I’m a book slut, I’ll read anything. I may or may not like it, but I’ll give it a go. Except Heidi, never read it ‘cause Mrs. Buckley told me when I was 8 it was beyond my reading age and I wouldn’t be able to read it and my Mum shouldn’t order it from book club. My Mum ordered it anyway, but I never read it ‘cause I wasn’t very good at proving old Bucks wrong. (Poet, sorry, but I still don’t like Mrs Dalloway either;-).

Music in my childhood was Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds, Cat Stevens, the Moody Blues and Roger Miller. I like them all to this day and can honestly say I love Cat Stevens. I listen to loads of other stuff and even to Nova, but I still go back the ole’ faithfuls when I need comfort. Is this because this music brings me feeling of family and good times? Is is because it's 'classic', Maybe, maybe not?

So my theory is this, we either except (and embrace) what we are presented with as a child or reject it. These acts of rebellion can make us stronger and who we turn out to be. They make us the inquisitive souls that go out and create for ourselves. They make us the people who go to modern art galleries and look at the pallet painted green on the wall and say ‘yes I like that, but why?’ These small or large youthful exposures from our parents decide who or what we are going to be.

And you still only need a licence to have a dog.