July13th 2002. 10.30pm

13/7/02. 10.30pm

I've been reading a lot about diaries on abctales and thought I'd have
a crack. The last time I kept a diary was in the 80s when I was a
student, I look at those diaries now and again and they are just full
of angst, I wander if I was ever happy in those days, I must have been,
university is the best time of your life isn't it?.

I've been thinking a lot about the past recently, I'm 37 so the big 40
approaches, and it's in vogue to look back, friendsreunited,
schooldisco.com, and all those I love the 80s TV programmes, it's hip
to look back. And I'm going through a time of transition, I have just
resigned from my job, after 7 years at the same place, at the same
office, the same journey from Hackney to Maida Vale will soon be at an
end, hoorah!! It's exciting not knowing what's around the corner, I've
already got a job interview in 10 days but I'm not going to lose sleep
about the future. I know that there is a demand for my type of skills
so freelancing will be possible.

Back to the past, I got an e-mail from an old friend, through the
friendsreunited site, someone I was very close to for a period in the
mid to late 80s. We both had a summer of unemployment in Bath in 1988
and spent most of the time drinking, playing the 'chines, and going to
the movies. Catching up with him has illustrated to me the changes I
have gone through since I moved to London in 1989, and the changes in
his life. It will be good to see him again, but a little strange, we're
no longer the hip gun slingers of the 80s, we're both verging on middle
age, I wander if we will get on the way we used to. He reminded me in
an e-mail of earlier writing attempts, when we tried to write a play
together, and the godawful stuff that I put to paper, he even
remembered the final line, it was basically a boy/girl will they/won't
they type deal, they didn't in the end, the final line was from the
girl.

"yeah you can stay the night....on the couch!!" ....

Ouch, hopefully my dialogue and writing has improved since then.