Myself and my Father have always had a close relationship, there isn't a day we don't speak even when I'm at University, he's shaped my life and my values- I really don't think I would be where I am today if it wasn't for him. However for the times we speak, 2 phrases really hold up with me, one was "Don't be afraid to pick up your wages" and the other being "Live life by your standards and no one elses". Those words have stood me in good stead throughout my teenage years and especially setting me off on my journey of making the best of myself.
I was born in 1994 to Linda and Andrew, 2 working class parents in the South Staffordshire town of Cannock, a place I am proud of being from. My Mum and Dad never had much in the way of money, we got by and I learnt to appreciate the value of things rather than the price tag. I went to a secondary school which wasn't the best, it had its fair share of wasters and bright sparks. I was never a bright spark, I was a middle of the road guy, up until year 10 that was. I got an A in a Geography mock, it transformed the whole outlook of my family, my Mum and Dad noticed my potential, they pushed me- not too hard but it felt like it at the time! As time went on my Dad was constantly keeping me on track whilst my Mum would give the occasional dressing down. I got 7 A's and an A* in GCSE, and AAB in my A-Levels. You'd think with that I would go to a Russel Group, Southampton, Leeds, UCL? No Staffordshire.
Now you're thinking, why Staffordshire? It's a joke uni. I was first generation Uni, I hadn't a clue where to go, but my girlfriend at the time was living nearby, so that was it, but I guarantee I wouldn't have learnt the life lessons I did anywhere else. I started as a naive kid, thinking I knew it all, after 12 weeks of meeting some of the best Leamington, Wiltshire and god knows other places had to offer (I learnt most of my lessons drunk). I found out I was just a fat lad from Cannock who could talk a bit. But meeting the new people, refining my values has made me a better person than I was 18 months ago.
You might wonder what this has to do with a politics blog, I wonder too, but I think the message that comes from this is that, whatever your circumstances are, no matter who you are, you can reach the top (or somewhere near half way in my case) and that my friends is why I love the Great British social system.
