Getting back to things

It's been yet another hot week requiring hydriation, the art of finding places in the shade, having the fans running full on at home and rooting out the shortest loosest fitting tops and shorts just in order to be comfortable and not suffer as I did during the first heatwave of the year from heatstroke and related issues.

We've had a couple of more members at the forum making a splash including one wearing a dress - unusual but hey why not - because it is for all of us and that does include girls that will in time lead to some differing discussion threads that may more for them but like every other open to all if they have something to say.

Imagine  a world where we were all returned - and for some more placed in attire they'd of prefered - being they boys they felt they were still, being able to do more of what they wanted together, play, trips together free from anything adult.

Part of the movement that saw quite rightly the abolition of child labour was the belief that children should be allowed to be children but in the build up to it no doubt inpromptu play existed where they could get the time even though they worked long hours.

There is a movement more for legal adults to be able to play more, the growth of playgrounds for adults as well as children, to be able to let off steam playing games that aren't tied into a serious aim like a competition or fund raising.

Heck to be able to at least some of that childhood freedom back.

Tossing a chunk a adulthood back was one of the most liberating things I ever did.

Spankies

In some ways a bit of a follow on from last weeks post but all very relatable stuff if like most of us you did actually have a childhood.

Big adult worries add words and expressions but they were further away from our immediate world having dug out massive amounts of sand on the beach where the car tyres were situated to much of Dad's annoyance whilst on our hols.

We hadn't thought through just how we were going to get back to our guest houseand if apart from anything else rather ouchie, we'd be pushing the car past where we'd dug!

There's a lot in a Peanuts strip, some sad, some really serious but this is one that takes me back to conversations about what our home life was like or just whey did we leave the lesson half way to see the Head Teacher.

Suprisingly to some today , as painful as it was to us personally we'd uphold those standards back then.

Even a certain cat appears to have had similar views

Lessons from the class room...

Last week was hot, too hot actually for some of us as I was very poorly towards the end of the week with it so I read a few old Dandy Summer Specials, probably as well as the last two years of what should be the Dandy Summer Specials have been given over totally to late 2000's Jamie Smart drawn Desperate Dan.

Normally in a comic you gravitate to those stories whose characters are more like you and your mates like Winker Watson, Brassneck or otherwise relatable like Korky the cat so a cartoon about a nosey girl like Keyhole Kate or mischievious girl like Beryl the Peril wouldn't be your thing, something you just quickly scan through before concentrating on one you did.

Summer Term for us always meant tests or exams, no not your GCE's but end of year ones to see what actually went in subject by subject something that would be communicated to your folks and to which you would be given some clues when it comes to what to revise and maybe how to do that.

Some make grand revision plans others just cram it in on the last minute and pray it all comes out.

This is an interesting cartoon that is set in that context with past memories and return to home where we'll see if plays out again.

It's interest to note Beryl has vivid memories of last time - those of us who were brought up with being spanked just do - and yet we see her not escaping a repeat but trying to escape the exam itself even when taken to school to avoid that option.

She continues to create a scene until the headmaster steps in and "forces" her to sit down and start her Exam paper.

Many of us can recall - and being painfully honest I did at times too - trying to rewrite on the fly the whole narrative of how our exam went when envitably the report card was presented in a sealed envelope  to present to your parents.

You knew pretty much what it would say having being informed directly about what you did and what your tutor(s) thought about your work.

I can remember only too well what my GCE Geography tutor wrote on the report prior to the mocks, pretty much calculated to drive Dad into spanking me.

Beryl's  attempt spinning hers out into a poor result in absolute terms but softened by Trying Hard failures as her dad spots the missing additional words.

Looking at this from outside angle there are two sets of thoughts that arise:

Does Beryl's falsehoods and deception of themselves warrant attention which back then would of been a spanking in itself and today a lecture, loss of previledges and grounding?

Secondly as far as her result AND attitude to studying go would you draw a distiction between the two elements?

I was back the punished for bad results even when it was the case I had reading difficulties and wasn't able to complete the test in time because of my disabilities. I feel that's not justified - we need help with learning much more.

On the otherhand if you were offered it and still didn't say attend extra tution, made no effort to revise or work to the best of our (limited) abilities isn't some sanction justified as we aren't helping ourselves that in the long term limit our opportunities?

Should we not be disuaded by whatever means from getting into that?

Personally, and having seen examples of people that have in later life got stuck into that pattern of behaviour then frankly yes.

By the standards of my time back then, it it was me, then a spanking was more than appropriate and the only thing I should be expected to do is be responsible afterward.