Photographs and Memories

 Photographs and Memories

Hi Readers,

Once again an extended break between posts, but with end of year reports, school camp and a few other interruptions I have had to prioritise things a bit more, as much as I love doing this. There you go, a pitiful attempt at an excuse!!!

 Not so sure about how lengthy this will be (Hooray I hear you say !!) because I'm doing this one handed and it's a real pain trying to do capital letters as I can't always reach 'Shift" and the letter I want capitalised.

"Why don't you use Caps Lock" then?

Easy to say, but when it is a habit to automatically do it one way, it doesn't come easily to suddenly do it another.

And why one handed? And why is it a pain? You'll just have to read on!!!

And guess what I've just noticed that I haven't really noticed before? Another Shift key on the other side of the keyboard !!! DERRRRR!!!!

 Now I just have to develop some muscle memory to use it, not easy when one hasn't realised it has been there all this time. I expect most of you would have been screaming this at me in my opening paragraph.😖

Now to the point of this post, "Photographs and Memories".

A bit of a back story to start with.

When Jen and I first started going out way back in 1984, we'd share a lot of music and our tastes were quite different, but she did have some that I grew to love and we used at our wedding as well as her funeral last year. She didn't gravitate to much of my music though !

Out of the blue last week I was listening to a radio station that plays a lot of songs from the 60's to the late 80's, my favourite eras. On came a Jim Croce song from an album of hers that we would listen to a lot. I hadn't heard this song for so many years and it brought back so many memories.

The album ? "Photographs and Memories"

Later that day I was sitting with a work colleague and he was proudly showing me the new family photos that he and his wife had taken recently with their two beautiful kids. I commented on how special it is to do this at all stages of their lives as it seems like only yesterday that Jen and I were doing the same thing with our 3 boys.

The events of the past year where we lost my sister, then Jen, then her mum made me realise that when they are gone, photographs and memories are pretty much all that we have to remember them by. That's also why hearing this album made me realise this even more.

We often hear that with so much technology at our disposal nowadays, it is destroying  many elements of society. I sort of agree with some elements of this, but also embrace it.

Virtually every adult has a camera at their disposal in the form of a phone 24/7, and incidents can be recorded instantly.

Friends and colleagues of mine who are of a similar age often joke that we are so glad that the phones of today weren't around when we were at Teacher's College in Ballarat in the mid 80's, otherwise none of us would have got teaching jobs at all !!!! Some may have even copped a visit from the law, and I'm not joking !!!

But in a way I wish that we also took more photos than we were able to, because back then it was still the camera with a roll of film, and a bit of a wait getting them developed. Also, as we were all living on next to nothing, not many could afford the luxury of getting films developed. 

I really wish that I had more photos of all the life long friends we made then and the crazy things we got up to, and also more photos of Jen and myself in our early years together.

I accept that's not to be, so that's what makes those photographs and memories even more special. 

Photographs and Memories❤️

I've managed to scan most of what we have taken from those years and that in itself was a joyous and lengthy task as I'd just stare at the pictures and it would stir up memories of not just when it was taken, but also further memories of the people in the shot.

As I look through various files for photos to use in my different posts I'm glad that I take photos of most things that pique my interest, as you never know when you may want to pull them out for whatever reason. Unfortunately though, society is also loaded with those who use the opportunity to take photos so easily and then use them inappropriately . 

I suppose that's the price of progress.

I have been so lucky that our son and his wife in Qld send me constant photos and videos of them and our Grandson, and these images will be available to them forever, what a great way to collate a record of one's life. You could argue that we will have too many photos, but after losing someone, there are never enough photos. I just wish I took more video footage.

Another son also lives in Qld, and likewise uses photos and videos extensively to keep me in the loop about what he is up to. Photographs and memories that I'd otherwise miss out on.

So Readers, I'm not suggesting you all become paparazzi,, just that you take time to record moments that will be memorable over time. It's amazing how a simple photo taken a few years ago that seemed so irrelevant at the time now holds so many precious memories. Then there's the pile of photos that have been taken and I think "Why on earth did I take that shot?"

Photographs and Memories.  Thanks Jim. Thanks Jen.

Now to other things more boring.

It seems that my other favourite pastime over the past 12 months has been going to hospital to get bits fixed.

This week was no different so I've been in again for a day and a bit to get two procedures done.

Firstly, back in January I was admitted for surgery to my right hand as I had two fingers that kept locking into a bent position, a painful tendon problem. Just before the operation the surgeon was comparing this hand with my left hand, and he noticed that a finger there had the same problem. I hadn't mentioned it to him earlier as I didn't think it was as bad as the others. His solution ? Do it as well that day, meaning I came out of the theatre with both hands bandaged. At the time I was also on crutches/trolley following ankle surgery, so I was starting to look like a mummy!

Fast forward a few months and the finger problem surfaced again in one hand, another operation.

Fast forward again to yesterday and yet again another operation on my hand for the same problem. I can foresee needing at least one more op for the same problem as it's starting to develop in another finger. On the bright side, once all of my fingers have been done it will be the end of it all ✋

On top of the op on my hand yesterday, I also had an op on my shoulder that I bunged up when I took a tumble at a tennis clinic at school last year. Luckily it's all on my left side, but it has left me a bit incapacitated and in a fair bit of pain for the next few days. 

All is good though, I just remember that I'm not sick, just sore.

A funny thing happened yesterday when I was having my first tests when I checked into St John of God Hospital. My heart rate was low (47) and they asked if I’d been to a cardiologist to have it checked. Later when another nurse took my heart rate and blood pressure it was still low, so they called in another nurse to check. A 3rd time later on the same thing happened so the nurse did it on a different machine. I get into the theatre and I hear someone say  “Oh, this is the heart rate guy” 

I'm sure that I'm running out of things that need to be fixed, but they just keep finding me !

Well Readers, that's my waffle for this week, I might get another done in the next few days while I'm recuperating, but I see a pile of schoolwork trying to catch my attention that might get first dibs.

And if you want to listen to a great album, jump on Spotify and tune into Jim Croce, "Photographs and Memories ".

Until my next post,

Cheers 😀