Monday 13 October 2008

But that's not me!


A few years ago some friends from Uni that I thought knew me pretty well got all excited about me meeting up with another friend of theirs.

“She’s just like you,” they said. “It's uncanny, you just won’t believe it.”

I didn’t. She was the most annoying person I’ve ever met. An over the top loud mouth, whom I basically wanted to slap. I didn’t. But I also didn’t spend quite as much time with those friends anymore, and when I did, I was very quiet.

So, it was with some trepidation that I sat down to watch Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky last night. Three separate people had commented that the central character Poppy - “is just like you”. Given that I am not a primary school teacher and am about ten years older than she is, I knew they meant something a bit deeper.

At various points through the film hubby nudged me, raised his eyebrows and gave me a “you do that” look (When she piled all of her materials for her art and craft preparation on the living room floor, talked inanities to uninterested shop assistants, babbled hysterically to the commuters she was squashed with on the bus, fell backwards off a chair, seemed oblivious to the fact that not everyone was on her wavelength etc.).

“Am I really like that?” I had to ask at the end.

“Well,” said hubby, “You’re not quite so breathy and your laugh is less high pitched”

I waited for more.

“And you’re clothes aren’t quite as bright?” He was looking a bit desperate at this point so I let him off.

Of course no-one is ever 'just like' anyone else, but I decided that after all that there are worse things than being compared to an easy-come , easy-go optimist with a love of high heels. And at least I didn’t want to slap her.

8 comments:

HelenMWalters said...

This really made me laugh! Must watch that film now!

Pat Posner said...

Nothing to do with your post *smile* but do you know about the Romance Panel (part of Manchester Lit Fest) at Tiger Tiger in the printworks at 3pm Sat 18th? Chritina Jones is on the panel - as she writes novels and has loads of stories in mags, thought you might be interested? I'll be getting the 13-35 train from Tod if you fancy meeting up?

Jumbly Girl said...

Helen - appy to have made you smile. Hope you enjoy the film (and aren't put off ever eventually meeting me!)

Pat - ooh thanks for the invite, I was tempted by that event but already have something arranged for Saturday (its my birthday weekend :o))Hope its a good do, looking forward to hearing all about it.

If you are in HB on Wednesday night you might fancy popping along to Nelson's wine bar as my writing group - No Hemingways - are doing 'readings' from wot we have wrote. I'll be the one in high heels falling backwards off my chair! It would be great to see you there.

Pat Posner said...

Oh,blah, can't make Wednesday - I'm meeting up with a Tod author at lunch time so Peter's going out later than usual (we don't like leaving Tessa B on her own too long) and will be late home. Would love to come next time, though.

My birthday weekend is the week after yours!

Leigh Forbes said...

Oh, God. I do the inane talking to shop assistants and the hysterical babbling to commuters, who adopt 'huh?' and 'Christ!' expressions respectively. I'm not very good at volume control either.

No one's slapped me yet, but I shall go through each day with renewed care.

Tamsyn Murray said...

Hah! Made me smile again so I've given you an award. Pop over and collect :-)

karen said...

Well, there are definitely worse people to be compared to! I thought she was lovely in the film :o)

Jumbly Girl said...

Pat - sorry you couldn't make it on Wednesday. It was a great night and I will post about it shortly. Happy Birthday for next week