Ophelia Redpath b.1965. British surrealist painter.
“Evening Out” Oil on canvas.

When I was struggling in Junior High school I asked my Dad, who had actually tutored people in math  and Algerbra to help me.

He told me it was okay that I wasn’t ‘math smart ‘ and NO he did not help me. I thought he knew what he was talking about so I stopped trying.

And lo and behold one of my friends came over on that day and he was working with her because her goal was to go to college. So was mine. But whatever.

When they were done I went into the kitchen and she was telling my Dad about her plans after college- how she wanted to travel and own a great house.

” What kind of house do you want to live in? ” asked my friend- right in front of my Dad who BOTH knew my plans to go to college weren’t ‘going to be easy’ and I said, ” I’m gonna live in a tent in your backyard. ”

She laughed. My Dad laughed. I smiled with lots and lots of teeth.

So nope- I didn’t go to college and I didn’t pursue my dream to go into Science because my math skills were lacking.

The closest I got to anything in the sciences was to learn embalming- which is more of an art then a science actually.

The funny thing, the oh so hilarious thing is, to this day my “friend” reminds me,” Remember when you said you wanted to live in a tent in my backyard?”

For some messed up reason she likes to bring up the golden memory of me thinking my life was so pointless I’d end up homeless one day- she still thinks we are friends, but I haven’t for a long time.

There are some people I hope I outlive so that I can show up at their funeral and spit on their casket and she is one of them.