Games Problem

I don't think I can stand to do fencing for games anymore. I feel bad saying that because the coach is a really good teacher but the problem is the fencing system at my school is a mess.

The kit hasn't been washed for about 10 or so years and smells really bad (not to mention is damp and some of it has brown marks on it...............I don't even want to think about what that is, and needless to say I avoid those pieces of kit). Then there are the people who do fencing. All the people in the lower sixth are weird. Sometimes some of them can be quite funny but they really are weird. The weirdest has to be the kid who wanders around finding people to latch onto who he can tell his latest stand up comic routine to. Unfortunately this often happens to be me. He isn't funny. He's monotonous and rambles about the most random things. They really aren't funny. Today he told me something about a black woman making a racist joke about jewish people (he is Jewish and so he was saying how it made him very angry), about a showgirl he met in Vegas who told him her uncle got her the job as a showgirl and the hobo on the streets of New York who told him he would change the world with his dreams. He then went on a tangent about his grandmother who foresaw in her dreams before she died that China would become a world superpower (as I said he rambles). Then the hobo apparently gave him a box and told him not to lose it but he lost it (haha). Those are the things that I actually caught something of. He told me many other things but it turned into one of those situations where his mouth was moving but I wasn't hearing.

It must be obvious I'm not listening to his 'jokes'. I keep the same facial expression (blank) and look around constantly through boredom. When he gets to the end of a joke he stares at me expectantly (this is how I know he's reached the end of a joke as I just completely switch off and haven't a clue what hes been saying). I try and force out a laugh but just can't. I try, I just can't do it. His jokes are that bad and I can't lie to him and pretend they're not. So I just maintain my blank stare and then, to my dismay, he'll just move on to another 'joke'. I feel so harsh. I'm sure anyone who knows me will agree that I don't like to hurt peoples feelings and will always do everything in my power not to (and to not be rude) but he's really pushing it. I have on occasion just had to walk off (as subtly as possible) because I couldn't take it anymore. And I really don't mean to sound like a moany bastard, picking on people to let out my frustrations (because at this point I know I really do) but hes just left me with feelings of complete despair in regard to fencing. And the really sad thing is (this was pointed out to me by a year 11 who was trapped by this boy and subjected to his stand up routine in the equipment store room) that apparently he has some gigs lined up in the next couple of weeks. I feel so bad for him (and so did the year 11 boy). Hes going to get booed off stage. That would be terrible. I really hope he doesn't. I also feel really sorry for his audience.

Things were looking up a couple of weeks ago when, miraculously, new kit arrived and we were all assigned our own kit. A week later all the new kit was missing (due to year 9s and 10s stealing it for their own use). So its back to the rotting, poo stained (thats not confirmed, not putting it under investigation though), wet, smelly and, to sum it all up, just plain rank fencing gear.

And now the only other person from my year who did fencing has quit, leaving me with only the weird year 12s to talk to. The 2 year 11 fencers aren't bad but they too are considering leaving. So that means everyone who actually did some fencing is leaving or left with only the year 12s remaining. The year 12s spend their time wipping each other with bamboo sticks (don't ask me where they got them from) or 'fencing' to rock music (which is more like a unique form of dancing with swords to the music, definately a sight to see). Today they decided to pretend to be planes and 'fly' around the hall. I feel like I'm wasting my time. Apart from having a lesson with the coach each week I don't do much else because theres no one left who will actually fence me (especially, as I already mentioned, now that the only other person in my year who fenced has quit). This time could be much better spent actually getting some exercise.

I am a very patient person and always try and see the best in things but there has to be a limit and I've reached it here.