Tuesday, June 24, 2008

things i also remember

The seventies were definitely a more innocent time.

* Presaging the invention of the video recorder, at the age of seven I made a cassette recording of my own commentary on the cartoon Road Runner. As with many of the video recordings I make from television today, I did not return to this recording later.

* Our family moved to Scott Street, Hawthorn in 1973. Years later my mother and I were driving along Power Street Hawthorn and she pointed out the house the family nearly bought in preference to Scott Street. I was overcome by the alternative path my life might have taken, convinced it would have been much better, assuming anything would have been.

* When I discovered that my Grade 2 class (1972) would be held in the same room as my Grade 1 class (1971) had been, I was very unhappy and in fact I believe I cried. I assumed we would have a different room each year. My best friends at the time were Felicity Provan and Mark Gurvitz. Felicity thought my objection to this situation very unusual. I can't remember if Mark had a reaction.

* Mark Gurvitz and I were punished very harshly once for smashing milk bottles in the playground. We were pretending to be these slapstick silent film star types from Sesame Street and doing the stupid things they did. We were only caught because some bigger kids dobbed anyway.

* Once in the early 70s I was playing (we wouldn't have called it that but I can't think of another word for it) with my brother and sister in the driveway of my grandparents' house when my grandfather came outside infuriated by the 'filthy language' I was using and told me off angrily. Since I wasn't using any 'filthy language' I was nonplussed and felt very important at having been accused of something I hadn't done, which didn't happen that often but of course it is never fair. By the same token I wouldn't have thought twice about using 'filthy language' if some had come to mind so maybe there was some justification.

* That's about all I remember actually but be fair, it was tough even dredging that up... I'm trying to be entertaining as I note that Belgians sometimes visit this blog and I want to give my all to entertaining those cultured people. What would attract Koreans?

3 comments:

Ampersand Duck said...

Dressed-up cats. Other cute things. Doing well with the teddybear.

Well, you asked.

[lwonk, says the doorbitch. Tuh.]

Anonymous said...

Hello, I remember such things too! My mum had to go to a parents evening and I was highly concerned that she would miss the King Kong film on TV, so I tape recorded the entire film with a commentary for her. I wish I still had that tape, but I think it eventually became recorded over with precious John Peel Shows in my later teen years. This was also an era when parents could leave their kids at home for a short while and not be accused of neglect or whatever!
Anyway, I should introduce myself, this is Gillian as in gilian & paul at bi-joopiter. God knows how I came across this blog, but I've been enjoying it.
gillian x

David Nichols said...

Hello Gillian, nice to make contact again after 15 years. I knew the internet must be good for something but I was never sure what. I know I tried to find you a few years ago and couldn't, sadly now I can't recall specifically why, luckily it was not to see if you had an audio commentary on King Kong. Which version? Strangely, the first time I was ever left at home by myself, it was the night the original King Kong was on TV. This is not a lie or some kind of obscure in-joke. It is true.

weekend

I just get so tired. I have been extremely exhausted on weekends recently. But it might be because of the heatwaves.  So, see below. Do you ...