Family and future

That's right, the time of year where we eat and drink and may well just be merry with relatives has come and gone, the witty banter that causes hilarity to be forgotten the day after.

The great news is that two more second cousins are on the way! While shopping with my parents in Tesco t'other day ('cause I'm that cool...or 'cause I'm a wonderful dutiful daughter *ahem*) we looked at all the baby clothes and toys for present ideas. Just seeing those tiny baby shoes and cuddly toys made me squeal because they're so adorable (and that's rare), but also made me think. Would I get married? When? Would I have kids? Would I make a good mother? If I wanted the best for them and had the means would I send them to private school?

I wouldn't. For one thing I sometimes resent private school kids (if I'm perfectly honest), even though I do have friends who went to private school. I wouldn't want my children to be spoonfed methodology, and I would want them in an environment that prepares them for the real world. I probably shouldn't, but sometimes it feels like a competition with those kids; I feel good when I gain the upper hand, or when I do something well. Then you're not just resented for being common, you're resented for being common and being mildly intelligent. Most of the people I know from private schools who I admire are those who got there because their intelligence earned them a place, not because Daddy has lots of money.

Maybe it's at the point when I say that education shouldn't be based on how much money you have. Why have these elitist schools when an inner-city school is struggling to educate? Why slosh money round to spoonfeed children when money is desperately needed for kids who have learning difficulties or behavioural problems?

My first inclination is to say "tax the rich more", although it'd be an incredibly uninformed statement and to some people it may sound 'dangerously' socialist. Or would it? We live in a society that promotes equality on all levels (gender and race), but its odd that the gaps between the classes aren't sealed.

Anyway enough about my rant about the rich and private schools...back to family and future...

I was talking about the not-so-distant future with my cousin about university and learning for life skills. For some reason we got onto talking about the laundrette and somehow I said "you never know who you could meet..." Now it's official that I plan to meet my future husband in a laundrette; he'll be waiting for his socks in the drier while I lament the loss of a favourite jumper to the wrath of washing machine shrinkage.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is what my life might just amount to.