There's not nearly enough alcohol in my cup of tea.

Really.

So I'm stuck indoors, doing English work (work, I might add, that I don't even need to to, but I am anyway because I've got myself into such a panic about it (y) ) - and drinking tea. Open Evening was tonight at school, and I'm too ill to go. So I'm using the time constructively and doing English, like I may have mentioned, and also listening to music. I wanted to have a little word:

In between sitting here on my duff and drinking tea and brutally pulling apart a novel a care very little about- I got to thinking about why I'm taking the day off and how I have got to stop winding myself up to the point of feeling sick over work. The thing is- I won't be happy unless I manage to achieve the same grades I would if I were well. THAT'S NOT HEALTHY. Will I stop? No, of course not, I'm a Cooper and we are ridiculously stubborn at saying 'Nothing shall stop me'- it doesn't always work well.
My Mum asked me 'What if you took a turn for the worst and you end up not getting the grades you want?' I replied 'I'll re-take the year'- but I sort of don't know who I'd be doing it for? I'm happy enough to have fun at Uni, have my fantastic friends, get a comfortable job, have a home (even if it is tiny) and be in love and have all those great things in life. Notice how I never mention money? High earner, low earner- if I'm happy I'm happy. So why do I still make myself obtain high results? I'm determined to show people I can still do it I guess.
The point of all of this wasn't to show you all in words my own mental break down (I'm pretty sure you see them enough!), but to send a message of 'blooming hell guys, we may need to calm down'.
I know I'm not the only one thinking 'Oh goodness I need to get all of this otherwise I'll never amount to anything!'. Listen to this-
My grandfather is one of the most amazing, kindly, socially high class people you could ever meet- twenty years ago if you had mentioned his name anywhere of value they would have known who he was- he managed to work his way up to being head of a rather large stock exchange company- with a Geography A-level.
So guys, whether it's snobbery (it very well may be, I've seen it!), pressure from parents/teachers or just a nervous personality that is making you ignore happiness and good health in exchange for work and good grades you need to calm down- you will make something of your life. The only ones who won't are those who assume it will all happen for them without any work.
In the words of John Lennon 'When I grow up I want to be happy' when asked 'What would you like to be when you grow up?'
And quite frankly if you think I don't understand the question- then you don't understand life.