"Trainspotting"
Spring 1999. The radio in Aleks' parents van was playing Harvey Danger's rendition of "Save It For Later" as we drove towards the 7-11 on Oxford street west. On the weekend we used to jam in Sean's basement but now we've taken to trainspotting and going on random trips in the car. My crush on Sean's sister, Terryl had reached its zenith. In our exploits on nights like this, she was present along with Aleks' sister, Jen. I tried my hardest to impress Terryl but my almost manic behaviour only pushed her away. Little did I know that I would one day see her for what she really was and get over her but that comes much later. At the moment of which I write, no girl could be what she was. And nobody could be as elusive.
My relationship with Aleks had regenerated at this point but I started having problems with Chalmers (and if you're reading this Chalmers, know that I love you and I am sorry). Much like the way I unconsciously blamed Aleks for my problems earlier, Chalmers represented all my short comings and frustrations. Instead of talking about it with him, I let the resentment quietly build until it was no longer a mystery that I was angry with him, only why. Sean appeared to me to be taking his side and I doubt he lked the fact that I was going after his sister. My only friend it seemed was Aleks.
I have to admit this is a fragmentary part of my memory. That is to say, alot of things were going on at once and it is difficult for me to connect some things. There were the weekend nights driving and trainspotting but we were getting to the point where we started drinking. Of course we'd each tried drinking before but this was the beginning of the end of the beginning. That is to say we were starting to lose our timidity surrounding drinking under age. (I will talk about our first May 24 and of graduation in another entry).
But I have a hard time connecting this to school where I laboured through OAC English with Mr. Needles whose significance to my life would occur much after graduation.
Then there was OAC History where my love of learning was first rekindled. And speaking of love, I was starting to have feelings for a girl in my class named Sarah Favalaro. It almost seems like a contradiction when I juxtapose the two memories:this class and the weekend trainspotting.
A word about this trainspotting. This wasn't us shooting up smack like in the movie of the same name. This was us literally walking on traintracks at the edge of town and wait for the arrival of the train. We didn't play "chicken" with the train either. You might say this was a dull pass time, but it was a necessary pass time. We'd temporarily given up the dream of becoming rock stars and were approaching the age where one can legally go to bars and drink alcoholic beverages. This trainspotting thing was just a transition
The summer of 1999, arguably the best summer of my young life, was about to begin
My relationship with Aleks had regenerated at this point but I started having problems with Chalmers (and if you're reading this Chalmers, know that I love you and I am sorry). Much like the way I unconsciously blamed Aleks for my problems earlier, Chalmers represented all my short comings and frustrations. Instead of talking about it with him, I let the resentment quietly build until it was no longer a mystery that I was angry with him, only why. Sean appeared to me to be taking his side and I doubt he lked the fact that I was going after his sister. My only friend it seemed was Aleks.
I have to admit this is a fragmentary part of my memory. That is to say, alot of things were going on at once and it is difficult for me to connect some things. There were the weekend nights driving and trainspotting but we were getting to the point where we started drinking. Of course we'd each tried drinking before but this was the beginning of the end of the beginning. That is to say we were starting to lose our timidity surrounding drinking under age. (I will talk about our first May 24 and of graduation in another entry).
But I have a hard time connecting this to school where I laboured through OAC English with Mr. Needles whose significance to my life would occur much after graduation.
Then there was OAC History where my love of learning was first rekindled. And speaking of love, I was starting to have feelings for a girl in my class named Sarah Favalaro. It almost seems like a contradiction when I juxtapose the two memories:this class and the weekend trainspotting.
A word about this trainspotting. This wasn't us shooting up smack like in the movie of the same name. This was us literally walking on traintracks at the edge of town and wait for the arrival of the train. We didn't play "chicken" with the train either. You might say this was a dull pass time, but it was a necessary pass time. We'd temporarily given up the dream of becoming rock stars and were approaching the age where one can legally go to bars and drink alcoholic beverages. This trainspotting thing was just a transition
The summer of 1999, arguably the best summer of my young life, was about to begin
posted by The Doctor at 4:48 PM
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