Tuesday 18 May 2010

Junction 22

It was exactly one year ago to this day that I ‘voiced’ my fears of impending adulthood and achieving the milestone age of 21. It was exactly one year ago to the day that I sat on my IKEA sofa in my warehouse conversion in Hoxton, procrastinating when I should have been reading some informed authority on company law. TODAY, I sit on an IKEA sofa in a one bedroom flat in Hoxton, procrastinating when I should be preparing for the impending conference I have in the morning. Still fearing impending adulthood, some things never change. I’m sat peering out of the window and on the face of things I realize that I’m getting nowhere with any significant speed these days!

I turned 21 years of age with priorities for the coming year, I was to commence the Bar Vocational Course, try and secure pupilage, find a place to live and continue loving music. I will turn 22 years of age having pretty much completed the Bar Vocation Course, failed to secure a pupilage or any form of job security, having spent approximately fifty thousand English pounds and recently regaining my love for music having lost it to Blackstone Criminal Practice last October. So this is sounding like a dreary life account already but it’s by all means not supposed to, for I sit here in my Hoxton abode, perched on my IKEA sofa and I reflect on my life as a 21 year old. I’ll tell you what; it’s been a pretty good one!

I first walked along Bedford Row on September 16th , somewhat unsure of what kind of hand I was about to be dealt. I can now divulge that I was dealt an exceedingly good hand even if I accepted it with a bit of a Poker face. You see, I went through my degree with a varying indifference towards most people and I assumed I was heading for the same path this time round, instead I was handed group 9. Group 9 consists of some of the best people I’ve met in a while. In fear of turning into a complete girl and gushing about them, I’ll say just this: They to some extent restored my faith in people…

… In the midst of what was an assessment focused year however, I lost a little piece of who I was, it wasn’t until I woke up one morning remembering how cool I used to be that I realized I had a lot to regain. In response to this epiphany there was only once course of action, I rallied the troops and pretty much forced everyone to the Inner Temple Student Associations Spring Ball. If the ITSA Blitz party did one thing for me, it gave me back everything I used to live for [bar friends and family of course]! I hit the shops, had friends over, and started listening to music.

AH MUSIC! Music was like… well, MUSIC TO MY EARS!


An explosion of the senses, like a great big cannon exploding raspberry compote and cream.

I listened to Blur, Muse, the Libertines, Marilyn Manson, Skindred, the Stone Roses, Pavement, Incubus, Maximo Park and much to my happiness made time to work more at the Academy. I hid away my stone washed denim and I was back to my socializing, fashionable, gig-going self in no time. It’s so easy to get bogged down in what you’re doing, especially when you’re joining the dots in a giant dot-to-dot style career path and forget to spend a little time doing what you enjoy. Sometimes you need someone to take your brain and shake it, like a hetcher-sketcher just to scramble things up so you can begin to forge a better path through the rack and ruin you left behind!

As my birthday draws near, I feel that queasy sensation deep, in the pit of my stomach, like a volcano waiting to erupt and probably cause an ash cloud the disced upon London, disrupting everything if recent trends continue! The familiar feeling of unease and uncertainty for the year ahead, somewhat comparable to risking the inclusion of egg noodles two days past there use by date on the menu, you never quite know what life has planned for you. I do know this though, 21 was a good age for making friends. It's like the first time you dunk a cookie into your tea... you know when you're onto a good thing!

I have no job, I have no money but I do have a wealth of friendships old and new to cherish forever.

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