People Are Strange

People Are Strange.

Have you ever found yourself thrust in to a room full of strangers. Well, they are not strangers to each other, most have known each other for years. But you, you don’t know any of them and none of them know you.

Pushing your way through the door, you try not to attract anyone’s attention. Maybe, just for once in your life you could actually become invisible? There’s no harm in hoping, but judging by the number of faces turned in your direction you’ve not succeeded.

Why can’t there be an empty desk at the back of the classroom? One that you could slip in to, and make an effort to become a part of? You can see an empty desk alright, but you are going to have to walk most of the way past rows of desks on both sides of you.

Oh, that two-left feet, shoe-laces tied together feeling. With each step you take you have the feeling that you will trip, fall, land on your face or, even worse, on someone’s lap. Those footsteps thump and thud right up to the top of your head.

Some of them are out-right staring at you. Some seem to find you an immensely entertaining sight, while some look at you like you’ve crawled out from beneath some rock. Others are a bit more subtle with their observations, looking up as you walk past, peering at you from the corner of their eyes.

Does everyone’s chair make such a scraping sound? You take a quick peek, just to make sure that nothing has been put on your chair. Too many times of seeing new class-mates arrive in the past has made you wary of the tricks that can be played. You just sit down in the seat and find your name being called.

Is it necessary to go through the introductions in front of a whole room of staring strangers? Their faces seem to warp and twist, making them look like some kind of aliens. ‘Get it over with,’ you think, while trying to answer in a reasonably polite way. Maybe now would be a good time for the world to end – at least it would put you out of your misery.

Finally, back in your seat you surreptitiously wipe at the sweat that seems to have appeared on your brow. Watching the clock, all you can hope is that your fellow students don’t seem quite so strange tomorrow..