Me
When I was a kid, our old garage got broken into. Nothing was taken as the burglar was frightened away by our neighbour at the time. Being the eccentric child that I was, I rigged up a 'burglar alarm' which consisted of an old clacker type alarm clock, a large length of string and a sack of coal.

The bell on the clock was set to ring, but couldn't as the little silencer lever thing was in the way - which was tied to the string, which in turn was tied to the garage door. Because the clock was wedged by the sack of coal, it would remain in place when the string was pulled, and the lever would release, and the bell would ring. Loudly. Hey presto, a home made burglar alarm. By a seven year old.

My parents would remain worriedly quiet about my new inventions - I decked out a pedal go cart with 'lights' (They were drawings of head and tail lights, sellotaped onto a small bit of wood, and were 'activated' by tugging on the appropriate string to lift a small flap, revealing the 'light.') I also created a jumbo jet cockpit from a washing machine box, a virtual reality headset from a shoebox and even camped out inside another large box (I forget where it was from) in protest because my parents insisted I couldn't keep it. I once sang to them through a loo roll taped onto a Tampax box (It was a record player, with a record made from a circle of card attached with a split pin.)

What did I grow up to be?

Not a lot. I dig the road up and fix broken pipes (stop complaining, you'd be buggered without us. No, really.) I'm far from the mad genius my parents hoped I'd be, but I still carry a few eccentricities with me even now. I'm 25 and I wear a bumbag under my coat, I hate the weight of stuff in my pockets. My friends (yes, I have friends) tease me constantly about my 'fanny pack.' I have to wear earplugs when near busy roads or places as the noise just drives me insane, even when everyone else doesn't seem affected. I really enjoy the company of older people, I drive an '05 diesel Skoda and yet despite this I refuse to wear slippers as that would simply be crossing a line - I wear these huge woolly socks that are downright lethal on laminate floors. I love peace and quiet and a good book by the fire and it seems I'm the only 25 year old on Earth who does so - I live near a University and am constantly reminded of how old I am mentally.

I am also dimly aware that I will never, ever have sex ever again. This in itself is fairly eccentric.

In before "You're not eccentric, just sad, mate..."
(oneltrchardonnay, Mon 3 Nov 2008, 20:48, 2 replies)

i have huge woolly socks that are lethal on laminate floors
it's fun to slide through the dining room to the kitchen =]
( Kaydie hasn't been on here in ages, Mon 3 Nov 2008, 22:04, closed)

You might consider expanding your horizons a tad, fella
lest in later life, you should look back with much regret. Enjoy your youth. Your body will start to turn on you soon. I'm 33 next month and can judge the poor state of my health by my bowel movements already. Doesnt stop me from drinking and drugging for Ireland though, staying out all night, avoiding sleep, riding everything that moves etc - SOMETIMES!!!

I can't do it as much as I used to.
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Tue 4 Nov 2008, 11:48, closed)