The pack mentality at school means that you’re either in or out. You either conform to all the nonsense or you refuse – thereby earning your very own personal psycho label. It really pisses my brother Andrew off that I refuse the kind invitation to join the gang. He has to work twice as hard for his place in the gang because he is tainted with the “psycho in the family†label. My brother likes to be called Andy, or even And, it makes him feel safe and familiar, part of the group. I always call him Andrew just to annoy him, and he knows I do it just to annoy him, but he still shows me how wound up it makes him. Today he said I was “such a muppetâ€, hmmm seventies kids show with furry animals. Yeah right, that insult really crucified me.
Smiling Sally, counsellor number 1 was very interested in my “relationship with my siblings.†I think she must have thought that I had a brain the size of a pea because she asked the most ridiculous questions, trying to lead me into some sort of self revelation which she could cure with a few kind words and a hug, (oops, hugging is of course, inappropriate behaviour these days) then send me on my way whilst she gave my name a big red tick in her book and a gold star for herself – another poor soul cured by the heroine who is Sally Martin.