Something more cheerful or a start; Jablog said about writing a book of my family, I somehow don't think that would be welcome. But that admirably titled book 'My family and other animals' by Gerald Durrell twitched my inner giggle because I have been unfairly accused of loving my animals better than my children. As if!
I will speak out for animals of course, and I did have my quota of dogs, cats, rabbits during my lifetime but that was it. Also, I looked after the 'acquired' pets of my son, frogs, which I had to dig worms from the garden for.
Shamefully I was indulged in childhood with a pony and a St. Bernard at one stage but dogs drifted in and out of our household at the time. Rescued probably. Also, Snowy the cat, with one green and one blue eye, who could never make up her mind as to whether she lived with us or next door.
On my shelves are two drafts of manuscripts, one by Con Opper the other by Lotta Opper. One is very bureaucratic, the other a bit too honest on relationships. So neither would find a market and are only of interest to the family. I think like most families we looked for the exotic in our family or at least a brief brush with royalty, either side of the bedsheet!
Being born illegitimate and in my time as a child it was shameful, the word used was bastard. Then spending a good part of my life thinking I was part Jewish, only to find out that my mother came from Staffordshire in the Midlands I realised the fibs one is told as a child are really not good.
My Jewish friend who I went riding with tried to convince me to go out when I was in my twenties to Israel and join a Kibbutz. Thank goodness I did not, what a terrible dilemma I would have faced as I watched the settlers taking the land off the Palestinians. How would I have reacted?
These small changes in our lifestyle can have so many repercussions later in life.
The grandchildren growing up, are though, very similar to our animals in the way they grow up. We laugh delightedly at their antics. Their energy tamed over time into what is expected of them - I would add the word sadly there. For we must always subscribe to the norm of our class, a word I hate for its implications but so necessary when describing one's background. Like the labelling in our blogs we hit a number of defined statistics in life.
The question is do they explain us?
---------------------------------------------
It sounds as if your life has been much more exciting, complicated, and interesting than mine, Thelma. I like when you share your family stories with us.
ReplyDeleteToo bad about the fridge. Hope you like the new one.
It is coming any minute now the fridge. It's just arrived as I type! 7.31 in the morning. It is a narrow fridge because when this house gets done over it will have to fit into a corner, with a second similar one. Now that is exciting Ellen;)
DeleteMaybe a combination of the two manuscripts would serve as the meat of an autobiography or even an autobiographical novel, where you could have your exotic, wrong side of the blanket relatives?
ReplyDeleteAn orange fridge sounds such fun - what a shame it's given up the ghost.
Janice haven't you read about all these people who get very uptight when certain things are revealed in written (permanent) books and sue? There are interesting things to capture from one's own bit of history but I think it should go under a sociology labelling, of how things once were.
DeleteYou're quite right, of course, Thelma. I get carried away sometimes. (Maybe one day I will be, in a straitjacket! 😉)
DeleteNo you are far too sensible.
DeleteI hope the new fridge serves you well and I am pleased to hear that it is not orange like the one that has given up the ghost. How horrid to be unclear about who you were and where you came from. Most of us take such things for granted. That cannot have been easy for you.
ReplyDeleteYes I have envied all you people who had a 'normal upbringing' but it is good to remember it wasn't bad all the time and I had a lot of freedom. Haven't inspected it yet, see above, but it has arrived.
DeleteMy family history would only be of interest to my family too, and I have never looked for Royal connections, just interested in the actual people I am related too - more detail (though that is hard to find unless you visit the actual archives.)
ReplyDeleteThis weather has certainly found out all the ailing elderly fridge-freezers. I am delighted with my new one and chilled water on tap! Layout much better than the elderly one I had too (an LG which if I had replaced like with like, would have meant coughing up £2000!!!)
Well because there will be eventually two fridges, ice-making capacity can't be called for. As for family history, I blame it on all those Ancestry firms for muddling us all up Jennie. When, think it was Lillie, put my birth's mother into the search, there was an indignant squeak from this family, me turning up unexpectedly. All water under the bridge of course.
ReplyDeleteYou must have so many unanswered questions about your family and what might have been. I am glad you have the next generations close.
ReplyDeleteYes and the unanswered questions must go unanswered because everyone has passed on and of course there is not much interest from the younger members of the family.
DeleteIt is interesting to me to watch even in my own family, people deny things that they know to be true. In my own family one such thing is my father's temper. He was a violent man. I hold him no grudge. It's done. He's gone. If I were to say words to that effect to my brother and one of my sisters, there would be immediate outrage. He was a man who stood for what he believed in and didn't take crap from anyone. A hero even.
ReplyDeleteWhat was it Kate said? "Recollections may vary?"
As always Debby it is how we all interpret our view of the world against other views. I actually think we have gone too far into the workings of the human mind. Trying to explain everything is futile.
ReplyDelete