Me! (me me me me me me me)
I used to be a right spoiled brat when I was a kid. I wasn't spoiled in that my parents spent loads of money on me, as times was hard in the Strangechap household.

No, my parents 'spoiled me with love'.

Now don't get me wrong, they were great parents, and still are, but I grew up to be a right whiney little shit. I had no confidence or guts to do anything myself. I didn't like playing with other kids, as they were too rough, I would never do anything on my own. My dad would always come in to the playground with me as I was too scared to go without him.

I would only drink milk when we were out, so if we went to a pub for lunch (rare occurrence, and only when on holiday) I wouldn't drink coke, I had to have milk. (try getting milk in a pub FFS!)

My mum did everything for me. Cooked, cleaned, did my washing. I never had to do any chores. And I repaid her my being a messy little shit and taking her for granted.

When my little brother arrived, I used to bully him no end as I was 5 years older. It's easy to bully a toddler when you are so much bigger. I feel really bad now that I used to treat him like that. (Especially as he's now bigger than me and quite hard due to all the abuse I gave him when he was a kid.) We get on now, most of the time.

So in all, I was an odious little wanker when I was a kid. I'm not proud of that, but that's just the way it was.

When I was about 10, J moved into my street. I come from a middle class area in the south of england, and J and his family didn't fit with the stereotypical middle class family I was used to.

J was black, streetwise, hard and a real character. He was the total opposite to me, the spoiled little white boy. His family had moved from one of the shittier parts of the local town into the suburbs and were the only black family around.

On the day he moved in, he rode down our road on his bike, introduced himself and we just clicked. From that day on we were inseparable. We were true best friends. We were good for each other. He taught me how to skateboard, fight, talk to girls, show off, have a laugh. I learned what racism was, how things weren't as easy for him sometimes as they were for me, simply because he was a different colour. I kept him on the straight and narrow, as he tended to go the "wrong way" every so often. We were a perfect foil for each other.

I stopped being a shy, spoiled little kid and grew up. All thanks to J.

We went our separate ways when we were about 19-20. He got into drugs and went a bit funny and we got in a fight. We didn't see each other for about 15 years. Then, somehow this year, we got back in contact and are now good mates again. He's sorted himself out and has a family and so have I. We don't raise hell like we used to, but I've realised out of all the people I know. He's the best friend I've ever had, or will have.

I'm not spoiled anymore. Although I do have the occasional tantrum. And I suppose it shows that a spoiled kid doesn't have to be a spoiled adult too.

Apologies for length, but I wanted it to be that long. And what I want, I get. (stamps feet).
(Strangechap I look normal on the outside..., Fri 10 Oct 2008, 9:25, 2 replies)

*click*
A heartwarming tale!
(5150, Fri 10 Oct 2008, 13:10, closed)

Sounds like a good friend there
Glad things worked out for you guys, friends are, to quote a sickening fridge magnet we have, the family we choose to have.

*Fetches bucket just in case...
Clicks
( Rev. Jayneflakes Buy my book, I need the cash for drugs and hookers, Mon 13 Oct 2008, 14:24, closed)