WHAT’S GOT BIG?

'University Cocktails'

Well, judging by the state of the dry pasta aisle, the decimation of the bolognese sauce shelf and of course the alcohol department in Sainsbury’s this week (other supermarkets are available) it would be fair to summize that the University student return weekend is well and truly here.

I remember the day myself vividly.  I was an 18 year old lad from Exeter who thought that it would be cool idea to become a PE teacher.

A mad scramble through clearing, a place claimed at Brighton on a PE teaching degree, a couple of weeks to get everything together and I was off. Excitement predominantly, relief close behind and a sprinkling of nerves completed the emotional cocktail that I travelled to Sussex with over thirty years ago.

I could wax lyrical and take up the rest of your day with a 10,000 word dissertation of a post which would recount the 4 incredible years I enjoyed with the incredible people I shared it with, doing the incredible things that we got up too, but I will spare you the details, some of you reading this were there, some of you reading this have already been told (repeatedly).

The sole point of this post is to put out there the appreciation of the unique cocktails of emotion that will be travelling across the country this weekend.

Knowing Freshers weeks from experience, the cocktail metaphor seems like an apt one to pounce upon.

Unlike the drink we can order at the bar, I don’t think that it is possible to choose flavour of our emotional cocktails. I think the flavour chooses you.

The emotional cocktail is made up of thoughts, feelings and emotions. At stressful times, we may not be able to manage or control how we react, how we feel or how we think. I guess from this the drink we end up with may not be to our liking. Too much of the rubbish ‘stuff’ and not enough of the ‘stuff that we like’, simply leaving a bad taste.

Emotionally, we cannot always choose or be in control of what ingredients go into our glass.

The taste I left Exeter with over thirty years ago was on the whole delicious, a metaphorical Mojito! My cocktail of choice. Excitement, relief and nerves in their perfect ratios made my departure a positive one, a departure that I wish for everybody heading off this weekend.

I know that this will not be the case. Nervousness, stress and anxiety in unmeasured amounts and an absence of excitement can give an altogether very different taste, a top shelf stitch up if you may.

We wave our cocktail ordering son off this weekend too. As much as it would be lovely to pour the cocktail for him, we know that he will need to just taste what ends up in his glass. I do however have everything crossed that his glass is full of the good stuff that makes it taste so sweet, but also hoping that it contains a shot of the stuff you need to make any worthwhile cocktail make you go ‘bloody hell’.

The only thing that I know for certain is that his mum’s glass will be a large one and full of house doubles!

Wishing everybody who is dropping off or waving off their Uni bound loved ones this weekend a kind and gentle departure.

Take care,