Neighbours

I live alone - which seems to surprise people when I say I'm only 20. I love the independence it affords me, but it has its downsides, too. At University I've had a rough time. I lived in University accommodation in my first year, and then in the second moved into a flat with three friends. Unfortunately, they weren't friends for long. They were on drink and drugs (mild ones at least) and were awful to live with. They had no respect for anyone other than themselves, they were selfish, loud, immature, etc. etc. - all the nightmare qualities you might come to expect from a stereotypical student.

To cut a long story short I then moved away from my University town - there was no way I was going to drop out. But the 30mins. commute I then underwent everyday meant I became massively ostracized from the University community - and its a very close-knit, and inbred one here, too. I can't say I was all that bothered, though. After all, I rediscovered my independent feet, I shaped a new life for myself, and I escaped a lot of Student cretins who were busy wasting their time getting pissed every night. I got some privacy back too!

Now I don't want to sound self-righteous here. Sure, I've had a sensible and sober upbringing, but I'm also a massive party-animal, and you'll find me in Fire (in London's Vauxhall) with all the druggies at 7am, and having a great time - just without the drugs myself. I just don't see the point in boozing yourself into oblivion every night of the week. It becomes so boring. And what's all this about students and living in mess?!

Maybe some of this is down to being gay. There seems to be a strange link between liking other men, and being tidy/fashion conscious/enjoying entertaining and so forth. Stereotypes exist for a reason, even if we might want to resist this categorization. And the same goes for students I suppose: I've met a lot who are immature and messy. I'm certainly not the oracle of everything that's right, but I guess I've struggled to find like-minded people at University - and I never thought I'd be saying that. Moving away from my University town also showed me that it was OK just to me be - and while it's been difficult spending so much time on my own, it's taught me a hell of a lot at this early stage of my life. And now I live back in the town I'd moved away from (still alone) I feel pretty stable - just constantly bored, despite my enormous workload! Get me out of here!

So moving on to the title of this post: neighbours. Well, with living alone I tend to find amusements in strange places. I was still up at 2 this morning going through some new house music (another tick on my gay stereotype list), but when I finally got in bed, I couldn't sleep. A couple across the corridor has been evicted this last week, but the people directly opposite were making a real racket. There's been randoms in and out of their flat for weeks - it looks like the nice older couple who were living there have gone. Although they have been visiting! It's so strange. Anyway, we had banging doors, screaming, all kinds of things. And this morning, when I heard loud knockings at their front door, I had to pop my head out.

"Hi. Sorry, I know I look a mess (hedge, backwards - I wasn't looking great) but if you're trying to get into No. 18, I don't know if you'll have much luck."

Two dolled-up chicks stared up at me.

"Oh. Why's that then, man?"

"Well, there was a lot of noise from No. 18 at 3 this morning, right through to 6. Banging doors, shouting."

The chicks looked pretty distressed, but not surprised either. So something had been going down.

"Oh, right. What noises again?"

Then the door opened. This bloke in his early 20s - and I'm going to sound like a snob here - who looked a total thug, stepped out.

"You alright?" I asked, "because there was a lot of noise from your place at 3 this morning."

"Aye man, 's great here." The chicks went in, the door shut to loud laughing.

Hmmm, another of life's social voids here. I've lived in posh(ish) areas, and even on a council estate, so I think I've seen a fair bit of stuff. But seriously, whatever they were doing last night was wholly inappropriate. Soap-drama living I call it.

There was a moment when they closed the door, when I could feel the bloke looking at me. We can't understand each other. I don't get his attitude and his lack of manners. He obviously looked at me and saw a potential puff. And yet maybe he didn't. Mind reading is so difficult - and we often get it wrong anyway!

I am really as secure as I think I am? I'll have gaydar radio on loud and not care. But faced with someone who you just feel cannot accept you...I think I over-compensate and become this stuffy, straight 40 year old bachelor type. Who knows?

Right, purged myself of that little bit of trivia. On with the day.