Written by Susan Lane SLCM Keeper of ColourMine
Life: Just because you weren’t academically achieving at school does not mean you are a lost cause, it just means that you knew a different destination was waiting for you and with all the twists and turns you would land up there regardless of the paths you took in the meantime.
My Life of Improvement, Personal and Academic
There was something else in my life that I had always wanted to do
And it was actually dependent on the boring crap in school
That I didn’t want to do,
That something was shorthand, you know writing free,
Learning to write without letters that was an exciting thought to me
But to do that I had to, after the first two years in secondary
To be in the technical school next door,
Unfortunately, because I didn’t apply myself
To all of what I considered academic rubbish that they were trying to feed me
There wasn’t ever going to be even a smidgen of a possibility
Strangely enough these thoughts still hold true,
There were lots of subjects that I didn’t want to do
Like Acting and Drama, why foist that upon me,
I wasn’t ever likely to tread the boards, oh, no not me
Then there was Geography, R.E and History too
They were ok I suppose
And if you had a teacher who was really enthusiastic
Who enjoyed the subject, well that encouraged me,
Although it didn’t exactly inspire a deep interest for me
Life And Mathematics,
Well, who needs a doctor with a degree,
In an ordinary secondary school, who made you feel stupid
Because he was teaching way above me
It was such a shame because you see
I’d have liked to have done so much better for me
I definitely didn’t find it fun
So, although I did ok in general life each day
I could already see that an ‘O’ level wasn’t for me
Although I’d have preferred to be so much better you see
It most probably put me off for life with their lack of empathy
The saving grace for my life for me was
That I could still work in my grandmother’s shop on the weekend
That was a highlight for me, it was only one day
But the things that taught me,
It wasn’t called customer service back in the day
It was just shop keeping but I enjoyed it each Saturday
I also got the chance quite often to keep mum company
Going to the London markets early morning
Fighting with the London traffic even all those years ago
And drinking tea from a flask with no sugar,
Wasn’t the best taste, oh yuk, disgusting, hehe
But I got to spend time extra time with Mum; that was lovely
All of those things I got to do learning skills
That I wasn’t taught in school
I totally enjoyed it I was no fool
So now fast forward to today
I still avoid Mathematics like the plague
Although I’ve managed somewhere near level 2
And I know that’s not huge but it is for me
And I’m slowly getting over my fear of Mathematics
That has dominated my life since I was about 14
I have since compensated in other areas you see
Because I learned quite early to be a mother of 2 children, I was 18
Then gradually made decisions to learn who and what I wanted to be
So, typing, word processing, databases and spreadsheets,
They all called to me
Then many years later I learned with Pitman
And there was my opportunity
I got to learn shorthand, touch typing and website building too
I was so proud of me, finally learning things
That really interested me
There were so many other things that I found
And wanted to do for me
Things that slotted in amongst my ordinary life,
That was a bonus for me
I upgraded myself along the way, and did lots of things
That have made me smile each day
All those things you cannot see,
Although if you have found me on LinkedIn
They are all a part of me
There are so many certificates and diplomas that are not seen
All of the experiences that are hidden from everyone but me
But that doesn’t mean I haven’t done them over the timespan you see
It also doesn’t mean that all through everything
My experiences have been forgotten by me
With all these that I have done
I could still walk in and execute all of the things
That I used to do when working in an office
Or even going to a stable
Clearing up debris and hay
Everything has been experienced by me
I’m no lesser person as you may see
Because even though I now don’t do these things
I still have the certificates to say,
I have done all of those things and I’m still me
I’m me and even though I don’t always continue
To collect more certification
That does not mean that I’m not learning more each day
So even though I may be rusty a few days
I could quite easily brush up on them and treat it like play
But until that time I shall just grab a hot cup of tea
And sit on the swing so I can mull over everything
And consider the future of ColourMine and all that it brings
Won’t you join me whilst I sip my tea
And slowly and gently swing on my swing seat
© Susan Lane SLCM. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from the author.
ColourMine poetry, and the original photographs, are completely authentic to myself, Susan Lane SLCM – no AI, no plagiarism, all checked and verified by Copyleaks
Apologies for the emoji presentation – I tested several, but this was the only one that worked reliably on ColourMine. Just click the box next to the emoji and hit submit, and I’ll know if the poem resonated with you. Thank you for sharing your feelings.
More poems written by Susan Lane SLCM, and you can choose by category
Blog | Organic voice | A happy survival of triumph here
Speak freely, ColourMine and myself will be pleased to hear from you.
Life in the Future Encroaches
🕵️♂️Making your life interesting for evermore or featuring impossibilities, moving perfections, revolving on victorious enjoyment meaning every new termination, perfected on easily resurrected sufferance, only new allocations linger and need dramatic availability, causing all demonstrations eventually mimic industry, capitalising allocations, loyalty, love, youth. Watching regardless in the terminable encroachment nearby believed youthful. Systematic usage synchronises another nuance leaving all animosity near ending SLCM Keeping everyone ever vigilant endlessly perfecting every rumour only finalising creations of love on umpteen recordings. Meandering in new endeavours.
This scroll is part of ColourMine’s layered poetic structure, where emotional resonance and embedded form quietly shape each piece.
