A picture my mum sent me

"Ice breaking exercises" always felt like a thing that was made up in the nineties. I mean that it feels like there was a time before it became an accepted part of almost all social interactions that someone would feel awkward and spastic and shy. It does actually feel like Social Awkwardness as a problem and then as an excuse for all kinds of bizarre behaviour was invented in the nineties. The other night I was talking to this guy at Jessie's birthday party about the books most sold in second hand South African bookshops*, and he said "and this is all based on your own informal research is it. This was not a poll taken under the auspices of any sort of official anything am I right."**** And I said yes you are right.
Similarly, my Social Awkwardness Was Invented In The Nineties theory has never really been backed up by science or anything like that, and has been based mostly on my own Informal Research, which in this case has been gathered entirely from my thoughts. It would be hard even to do a poll about this on my invisible radio show about this, because all you could say is -
"Yes or no: social awkwardness was invented in the early nineties, coinciding with the rise of grunge?"

AND ANYWAY. This picture has proved me wrong. This picture of a nice ice breaking exercise where everyone sits on each other's laps and then doesn't feel shy anymore was taken in 1984. So. The idea of ice breaking exercises as a necessity dates back to the year I was born, at least. "Back to the drawing board."





*1. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
2. I CAN'T REMEMBER**
3. The Go Between


** I was drunk. For the first time in months. I forgot how fun it was. Also my body's many cries for cigarettes*** never got any louder than a sort of thin wail, possibly coming from another room.

*** http://www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Bodys-Many-Cries-Water/dp/095309216X (apparently the author says that water can cure AIDS.)

**** Paraphrased. A lot of this is a blur. I was quite drunk.