I Was Your Fortress You Had To Burn

Picasso, self-portrait (Picasso With Cloak), 1901

As I wrote last July, a lot of my dreams are set in places I haven't been for a long time: primary school, secondary school, and my old house. There may be a subconscious reason for that.

I lived in that fairly-large house from 1991 to July 2000: that's from the age of 5 to 14. Physiologically, that a lot of growing-up. But also consider how a person's personality can change. By the time I had moved into the house I currently reside, I was two weeks into third year.

In plain terms, I was never particularly happy in primary school. From Primary 5 onwards I had a good run of teachers - Mrs Cameron, Ms MacKenzie (maiden name for first few months, although I can't remember what it changed to), and Mrs Fortune - and through those improved last three years I started to become less introverted.