Growing pains

I've been inspired to post some pictures and I have to admit is quite fun.

I asked my Mum a while ago to send over some from Seth Efrika and copies of the originals arrived this morning (nearly a month late, no thanks to the striking postal workers...)

The first is me outside my first nursery school or play school or whatever you call it.

It was taken in Zimbabwe and I must have been about three or four years old. I have to mention that it was taken in Zimbabwe because it helps to explain the clothes.

My mother is clever and intelligent and witty but I cannot believe how she used to dress me.

This next picture is far more interesting because it shows the real Bobby.

Every week we would go to my grandparents for Sunday lunch. As upper-middle class white people in Zimbabwe it meant Sundays were the same every week.

Enoch the cook would prepare lunch while my parents sat outside drinking G&Ts. When ready, Enoch would ring the bell and we'd all go through to the dining room.

The only thing needed to be done was for the meat to be carved, which my grandfather always did.

I think this photo is rather prophetic really. Me with a mouth stuffed full of food looking thoroughly disinterested.

Judging by the hat it must have been on Christmas Day.

This was probably the last year we spent in Zimbabwe because we moved back to the UK shortly afterwards.

It's funny to look at old photos because you start to think about circumstances and wonder how different you life may have been if, for example, my parents had decided to stay in Zimbabwe.

Or what if I had studied harder at school? And what if I hadn't dropped out of University? And what if I hadn't spent much of 2004 drunk?

You can't ever live with regret and I don't but as one approaches 30, I have to say that it is nicer to be able to see consequences.

When you're young you sometimes repeatedly slam your fist on the big red button marked 'destruct' without ever thinking of what may happen afterwards.

Now I can consider what might happen, thanks to experience. Maybe growing up is not all bad? Whatever, enough of all this philosophical babble.

Listen, I saw the Hungarian porno-star at the gym earlier, I don't think I've told you about him. Let's make that a date for tomorrow, perhaps?