In My Element

When Sog was a boy he wasn't interested in rugby and football, like the "normal" kids. Instead he was interested in chemistry and biology. Sog's Dad knew he he didn't need to give him a Jim's Dad Talk (as in "American Pie"), because Sog put up a chart of the human reproductive system on his bedroom wall. This demonstrated significantly more detailed knowledge of the subject than The Old Man would have been able to impart! Hours were spent dissecting frogs and examining pond life under the microscope.

On the chemistry front, Sog and his friends spent their time concocting explosive mixtures from their "chemistry set". They also produced various poisonous gases with which to inflict a rather unpleasant death on some of the local insects. While still at primary school, Sog prided himself on being able to name all the Chemical Elements and he also had a Periodic Table on his wall.

I now consider myself a fairly normal, if somewhat neurotic, individual, but I'm still not interested in football, rugby or indeed any other sort of sport. Being a geeky sort of kid didn't do me any major harm as I was fortunate enough to have friends who were interested in the same things. I wouldn't change my childhood, even if I could. But, from Wosog's experience of modern children, I don't think there are many kids out there that are like I was as a child.