Itchy feet

Carla

by Carla

Story

There are just some stories I can’t write in German. This is one of them. I grew up a lonely teenager, lonely does not mean unhappy but I will get to that later. While my much younger sibling was busy being one of the most popular kids in high school, flaunting her slim figure and blue eyes…..I was was neither popular, nor cool.

I was the chubby, glasses wearing, nerdy kid. In a time where being a nerd was totally uncool. Reading books, alot of books, writing to pen pals and playing chess were just some of my many pastimes. The cool teenagers earned extra money on weekends working in shopping stores or movie cinemas . I volunteered to go out in dirty clothes, saving abused and sick animals. Today, that sounds great, but in the early 80s about the uncoolest thing to do. I was an obvious choice when school representatives were needed, good student, good girl. When it came to social events, the exact opposite. No one invited me to parties or dances unless they wanted my sister to come. Outside of academics, I was unwelcome on their team. Anything that was considered cool was out of bounds for me.

So now you are reading this, and feeling pity, pain or perhaps even sorrow for me.

Wrong!

Honestly, I was happy being the nerd , sure I got bullied, but that was easy for me to deal with, for as we all know , bullies are insecure!

I didn’t want to be Miss Popularity and win fake friends and beauty contests. I knew if I wanted to be popular all I had to do was lose weight, change my hairstyle, and my attitude. And that is exactly why I preferred being the nerd. I watched how the boys looked at the popular girls, knowing I didnt didn’t want to be looked at like that. I heard how bitchy you had to be in order to be cool. I didnt want to be like that either!

More money would have been nice, but working for 8 to 12 hours indoors as a cashier, or movie usher so I could spend it going out to a film, seemed a waste.

I got to ride horses, pet dogs and help animals in need, go to shows, outside, in the fresh air! I felt misunderstood. Surely everyone wants to be popular.

Noooooo. I was happy just being me.

I had no peer pressure, no codes to follow, no fashion trends to keep up with, and especially no boys around me that treated me like a piece of fresh steak. So the other girls my age , were trying hard to fall in love, starving themselves to death, spending most of their money on clothes. Worst of all they were under constant peer pressure to stay popular. And me? I was relaxed, in my room, enjoying chocolate, reading the latest novel, or just „chilling „!

Heaven comes in many different shapes and sizes;-)

By now you might be wondering how and why I chose the title „itchy feet“ well, that’s where I will have to continue in another story. My love of stories, reading and books would take me onto many real life adventures. In English, if someone has itchy feet it doesnt necessarily mean tha t they have some stinky foot problem. No , to have itchy feet is to have the need to move, travel, experience…I think it’s called Wanderlust in German

© Carla 2019-10-27

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