My Other List
I've been sitting here for the last hour simultaneously regretting and being rather pleased with my previous outburst, and in the middle of it a (my regretting and being a little bit smug) a few additions to My Other List came to me.
This will happen from time to time (all effing time probably). I'm compiling a list of the people I need to reconnect with, places I need to visit, things I need to do, sights and sounds and smells I need to experience whether again or for the first time.
By way of example I spent every summer I lived in Melbourned at the Balwyn baths. We were there every afternoon after school and practically the entire weekend. 20c to get in for as long as you wanted to stay. A towel on the northern slope beyond the 50m pool. Honeycomb from the shop. Even though I no longer expose my sun to the skin: dad dying from melanoma at the age of 36 should have been warning enough but it actually took the removal of a cancer from my skin at the age of 28 to teach me that I don't have the skin for spending hours out in the sun. Nevertheless I want to put 20c (or whatever it is today) into the coin slot and push my way through the turnstile (or whatever) and just wander round.
And probably wonder why it isn't as I remember.
On the other hand I've never been to Ayres Rock, most iconic of all (natural) Australian landmarks. I know it is something I need to tick off, so I'll 'do it'.
Well tonight I added three inter-related must-do's (okay, is it does, or dos?) of the Ayres Rock variety to my list.
Since I left a new War Memorial has been erected in Ballarat to all Australia's POWs. When I was researching the family tree I came across the nominal rolls of the Australian War Musuem and, at the time, the record for my grandfather didn't include the fact that he'd been a POW. He'd been captured when Singapore was surrendered to the Japanese and survived the horrors that followed. I passed news of this omission via my mother to his sister-in-law (my great aunt) who in her time was part of the Canberra inner circle and still 'knows people'. She got the record sorted out very promptly. The initial list of people on the Ballarat memorial was derived from those who were referenced as POWs on the AWM nominal rolls. My grandfather's name does appear as kindly confirmed by a gentleman who was closely involved in the project. So that's a fourth reason for a trip out to Ballarat when we get home.
My grandfather's elder sister was killed by the Japanese. There's a memorial to her in her home town, and while that town is listed already on My Other List I omitted Aunt A's memorial. I also omitted the memorial to all those who's lives were taken in the particular atrocity which cost A her life.
Three memorials to call on. When I get my self sorted tomorrow I'll add them.
This will happen from time to time (all effing time probably). I'm compiling a list of the people I need to reconnect with, places I need to visit, things I need to do, sights and sounds and smells I need to experience whether again or for the first time.
By way of example I spent every summer I lived in Melbourned at the Balwyn baths. We were there every afternoon after school and practically the entire weekend. 20c to get in for as long as you wanted to stay. A towel on the northern slope beyond the 50m pool. Honeycomb from the shop. Even though I no longer expose my sun to the skin: dad dying from melanoma at the age of 36 should have been warning enough but it actually took the removal of a cancer from my skin at the age of 28 to teach me that I don't have the skin for spending hours out in the sun. Nevertheless I want to put 20c (or whatever it is today) into the coin slot and push my way through the turnstile (or whatever) and just wander round.
And probably wonder why it isn't as I remember.
On the other hand I've never been to Ayres Rock, most iconic of all (natural) Australian landmarks. I know it is something I need to tick off, so I'll 'do it'.
Well tonight I added three inter-related must-do's (okay, is it does, or dos?) of the Ayres Rock variety to my list.
Since I left a new War Memorial has been erected in Ballarat to all Australia's POWs. When I was researching the family tree I came across the nominal rolls of the Australian War Musuem and, at the time, the record for my grandfather didn't include the fact that he'd been a POW. He'd been captured when Singapore was surrendered to the Japanese and survived the horrors that followed. I passed news of this omission via my mother to his sister-in-law (my great aunt) who in her time was part of the Canberra inner circle and still 'knows people'. She got the record sorted out very promptly. The initial list of people on the Ballarat memorial was derived from those who were referenced as POWs on the AWM nominal rolls. My grandfather's name does appear as kindly confirmed by a gentleman who was closely involved in the project. So that's a fourth reason for a trip out to Ballarat when we get home.
My grandfather's elder sister was killed by the Japanese. There's a memorial to her in her home town, and while that town is listed already on My Other List I omitted Aunt A's memorial. I also omitted the memorial to all those who's lives were taken in the particular atrocity which cost A her life.
Three memorials to call on. When I get my self sorted tomorrow I'll add them.
posted by Enyo @ 12:57 am
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