Tuesday, January 27, 2009

A Trip down Memory Lane..

When I rummage in the capacious carpet bag that is my memory, I come up with some pretty weird stuff. Years ago, I was doing my English Literature A Level at evening classes. (This was in 1986, not long after my Mum had died.) But what sticks in my mind about that time is filling in the forms to take the exams, when my Teacher, whose name was Jill, phoned me to say she thought I had made a mistake when filling in my date of birth. I have always looked younger than I am (a blessing, I suppose) but she was really shocked when I said there had been no mistake. This was the first time for a long time that I hadn't lied about my age - and it taught me that this particular truth didn't pay. I couldn't help noticing a subtle change in her attitude after that, which amounted to ageism really. Ever since then, I have either avoided questions of actual age (Zsa Zsa Gabor said that only a stupid woman would tell the truth about her age, or something like that.) or I have told an outright lie. On the odd occasions when I have been tempted to tell the truth, it has been really embarrassing for me. The "shock/horror" reactions are so hard to deal with that I just don't do it any more. So there are few people who know how old I am (outside my family, that is) and I had intended to keep it that way. Except that I have a Birthday coming up and I'm beginning to think it's about time to come clean. Heaven knows what's the best thing to do, (and does it really matter?) but I've got about a week to make the decision...

More memories popped out when I heard the song "Africa" on Radio 2 the other morning. Eighties music makes me feel terribly sad. It reminds me of a time when the children were small, just before my Brain Tumour was discovered, and we were staying with a friend while the builders were doing our house. It was a hard time - winter of course - my marriage had come to an end and feelings of misery and homelessness pervaded our lives. I was continually ill, without knowing why. I caught cold after cold, and then a chest infection nearly turned into pneumonia. I had persistent headaches and my unhappiness meant that my two little ones were feeling lost too. It wasn't for another few months that the tumour was discovered, by which time we were living in our house. But that song brought it all back so powerfully. Music really does play a huge part in our lives - even that silly popular song (played by Terry Wogan as it was back then), was able to re-create a whole load of feelings that I had thought were dead and buried.

After a week without my telephone, I finally got it back this morning. A lovely chap from BT turned up very cheerfully at 8.30am, and set to work sorting it out. I had been borrowing my neighbour's phone, downstairs, and had tried phoning my own number several times, only to be put through to the Shahid Dinan Hair and Scalp Clinic! This happened to me, and to any of my friends and family who dialled my number. The patient people at this Clinic were very nice. They didn't complain, and in the end were explaining to callers what had happened to my phone!

I heard something really funny on T. Wogan's show yesterday. One of his listeners phoned in to tell us about a white van he had seen with the following message on its side:

Rajit Singh - Plumber. You've tried the Cowboys, now try the Indians.

I thought this was wonderful, and phoned a friend to pass it on, only to hear that it's an old joke, first seen on a Builder's van some time ago. Ah well, there's no such thing as a new joke I guess.

You seasoned Bloggers out there won't be surprised to learn that I'm still getting people logging on to my Blog in the hopes of finding "crutchless knickers" of some sort. Of course they go away disappointed - but it does amaze me (naive or what?) that there are so many people out there looking for that very item. I'm not really complaining - I should have probably anticipated the reaction - and it does help to keep the numbers up on a dull day!

8 comments:

softinthehead said...

What a cliffhanger! Will she, won't she? I am always shocked at how long ago the eighties were, to think that 1985 is 24 years ago, I see a movie was made i 1985 and think "oh not that long ago" and am then astounded at how dated it seems LOL.

auntiegwen said...

I always tell the truth about my age, no one is ever surprised, sadly

I only get people looking for curses and comebacks, is my language really that bad ?

I hope your birthday is special, especially after being so ill when a mummy of small children and now being a grandma of a small delightful one. xxx

family affairs said...

Yes, it doesn't take much to get that blogging spam popping in! Memories eh....I hadn't realised that the time you had with young children and divorced was made all that much more difficult for you - good that you fully recovered, but v v hard. Lx

A Woman Of No Importance said...

How do you work out how people are finding your blog, please? I am not the most technically gifted, you can tell!

I have never heard of the van joke, so I really enjoyed that, thank you, and yes the 80's - when I married - and OH had a footballer's perm, and the music was awful for it seems a decade, does feel like aeons ago when you add it up!

A Mother's Place is in the Wrong said...

Hi there SITH, I really love your house photo - things are obviously progressing. Yes, the passage of time is a complete mystery isn't it! Still haven't decided whether to reveal all. M :-)

Dear Auntiegwen, lovely comments, thank you.I'm looking forward to the Birthday, come what may. M xx
PS I think you look wonderful in your photos.

Hi Lulu, and thanks so much for your visit and lovely comments - it was such a hard time that I think I've buried it completely until that old music pops up! M xx

Hi there WomanonImp, (shortening your name is so difficult - sorry),
just get onto Sitemeter and then you'll have a very interesting way of seeing who's visiting you. I can't remember how to do it I'm afraid, because I did it so long ago! But it can't have been too tricky or I wouldn't have managed it!
Thanks for your memories - you reminded me that we both had curly perms too! M :-)

Mean Mom said...

I have a friend who is about 15 years younger than me and, every so often she asks me 'Mean Mom, how old are you?' When I reply, she says 'Ooh! I didn't realise you were that old!' Cheeky, isn't she? She really is a good friend, in other ways, so I ignore her thoughtlessness. Most youngsters will reach my age, eventually, so they will all get their come uppance!

I didn't realise that you had had so much to cope with, in the past. Life must have been extremely hard for you, at times.

I found 2 disgusting searches on my site meter, a few days ago and I thought I was quite broadminded! One of them was something to do with the diminutive of Richard, which I'm sure is a word I've never mentioned on my site!

Donna said...

Oh Sweet thing! When I get to open my eyes every morning it's a blessing...I'm 57 and So grateful to have made it This far!LOL...My Mother always said growing older was actually a Fun Payback! You can get away with being grouchy in restaurants...when you shop...senior Discounts...Hahaa...(that's my favorite)...Have fun with it! The BEST thing about being older?? Not having to pretend!!!
Have a Wonderful sleep sweetie!!hughugs

A Mother's Place is in the Wrong said...

Dear Mean Mom - you always have something both lovely and funny to say - thank you. The past is just that, thank goodness, and aren't we lucky to have the future to look forward to? As for that diminutive - I can't think what you mean! M :-)

Dear Donna, such good sense as always - it's just that I always seem to be older than everyone else! Well, not quite everyone..
Yes, the discounts are good, and when you consider the alternative... Hugs, M xxx