One morning, Miss Fox told us about the opportunity to purchase a publication of some sort. I cannot remember anything about the publication, other than the fact that I wanted one, and that it cost 50p.
If we wanted a copy, we were to ask our parents, and if they agreed, we could bring in the money.
Some children in the class went home for lunch, and so at afternoon registration, a few presented the 50p's that their parents had given them.
I did not go home for lunch.
However, seeing that others were already signing up, and not wanting to miss out, I went forward and presented my 50p as well.
I had taken the 50p from my recently acquired wallet, in which I kept all my worldly wealth.
Having money in school was not allowed. It should have been handed in at the start of the day.
I got a copy of the publication, but I got in trouble in front of the rest of the class as well, and was made to hand in the remaining coins in my wallet.
Thinking back, three things occur to me about my younger self:
Firstly, money played an important role. My eight or nine year old self was proud of my wallet and that I was grown up enough to have some of my own money. I don't think that it was the fact of having money meaning that I could buy things that pleased me, but rather just the fact that I had some.
Secondly, I'd obviously decided that rules were things that other people needed to follow. I knew that money was supposed to be handed in, and I understood why, but that wasn't my concern. I had my wallet, and I would look after it how I considered best.
Thirdly, I clearly wasn't as clever as I thought I was. If I'd stopped to think a bit more carefully, I might have waited until the following morning to hand in my 50p. Then my wallet and its contents may have remained undiscovered by the powers that be.
I'm not entirely sure what reminded me of that episode, but I found myself thinking about it on the drive home this evening.
Still, at least my grown up self has changed significantly, and doesn't share any of the same traits from thirty or so years ago!
Joke of the day: I'm rubbish at spelling - I don't even know how to spell armageddon. But never mind, it's not the end of the world.