Dad’ prose writing, around a first jump – circa late 1945
The Sincerest For Of Poetry
Apprenticed To My Mother
Walking Into Trouble
Dead Flies and Sherry Trifle
The Last Will Of Sven Andersen
Booms And Busts
Buster & Moo
Salisbury Square
My Father and Other Liars
Life In A Conversation
Life, in a Grain of Sand
Life In A Flash
TanGental 
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That description of the chap being terrified to jump was so moving. Last night, my daughter was quite upset, no doubt rattled by my recent lung problems and Geoff’s sister, who is more like a grandmother to our kids, has had breast cancer and she works herself up getting very upset. Then she sobs about being the only 9 year old who still needs to sleep with a toy, which I know isn’t true and anyway, so what? But, this is not the time for these arguments. I just need to comfort her. I think it’s great for kids and adults as well, to hear stories of our other average folk were afraid but overcame their fears. So many parents these days wrap their kids up in cotton wool and hold them back from putting themselves out their or giving in to their fears and letting them pull out.
My Dad used to have a saying: “it will put hair on your chest”.
As a girl, I didn’t want hair on my chest but he didn’t let me back out. He encouraged me forward.
I’ve always been a nervous driver and he once said to me: “Where does your licence say you can go? Are there any restrictions? No, well there you go.” I loaded up my car and drove over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and moved into a terrace house in Glebe. I did it.
By the way, as you could imagine, the Harbour forms a natural divide through the city. You have to pay tolls. You have to know which lane you need so for even for the irregular user it is a bit intimidating.
xx Rowena
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I love Sydney but have never driven in it. Next time! Yes embracing fear is so important. And my dads expression was rather more earthy ‘it will put lead in your pencil’!
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Aren’t our father’s use of words intriguing!
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It is fascinating, isn’t it?
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I was thinking about this tonight. Geoff and the kids are camping at the scout hall overnight and havioong fishing lessons. I was there for a few hours and one of the cub leaders has amazing experience with fishing and was instructing the kids. It was one of those moments where I should have had my notepad because he made some fantastic comments. When they were waving the rods around like wands, He said:”This isn’t Harry Potter”. There were also the inevitable comments about sword fights. No one had caught a fish by the time I left but there was plenty of seaweed. One of the boys asked him to get the seaweed off his line and he was told to do it himself. “You’re a Scout”. I really hope no one loses an eye.
The kids are sleeping in tents with their patrols and two nights before her bog audition, Miss is sharing a tent with her best friends and 4 other girls and I really don’t know how much sleep she’ll be getting. Ideally, I’d have had her in bubblewrap here but I think the diversion will be good. The audition is such a big thing and it’s so easy to get caught up in it and get too intense. That said, she’s very philosophical about the whole thing. She’s not too precious, which is a relief. Take care and enjoy your weekend xx Ro
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