After having just enjoyed a couple of days away playing 'social' croquet and generally having a good time I'm back in Blogland this evening and wondering which of the many things for which I am thankful will make it to the postline today. Particularly given all the news coming the the USA at the moment. Then I read a post my Meike's Mum entitled My Onkel Otto. I'm an emotional person and this post touched a lot of my emotions. Initially I did a long comment on the post and then I realised that I was not commenting on Meike's Mum's post but was abusing the privilege of comment by the use of too many of the word 'I'.
As CJ has said in his comment on the post when I was very young I had a deep relationship with my Uncle Eric and spent much of my life admiring him from afar (he married and we all but lost touch until his wife died when he was in his late 80s when we became close again). So I can well imagine the sort of relationship Meike's Mum had with Onkel Otto and I'm rather envious of the length of time for which she had it.
I am the same age as Meike's Mum (I was born June 1944) and I had a schoolbag similar to the one she was wearing on her first day at school. I think that my Maternal Grandfather (who had had a business making luxury leather cases) made it for me but on reflection I'm not sure - it may have been my Dad [hopefully CJ will come to the rescue because he remembers almost everything].
I am the same age as Meike's Mum (I was born June 1944) and I had a schoolbag similar to the one she was wearing on her first day at school. I think that my Maternal Grandfather (who had had a business making luxury leather cases) made it for me but on reflection I'm not sure - it may have been my Dad [hopefully CJ will come to the rescue because he remembers almost everything].
I was amused by the reminder that the girls used to sit in a bath in their jeans to make them fit tightly - before the use of lots of Lycra in the fabric. I had forgotten that. I didn't buy my first pair of jeans until about 2007 or 2008 after I came to live in New Zealand. It will come as no surprise to those who know me (and, I suppose, everyone else given that I was in my sixties by then) that I did not sit in a bath with them on!
However the most moving part of the post for me was looking at a photo of Meike's Mum's Onkel Otto and realising that the person looking at me in the photo (the one simply entitled 'Uncle Otto') was a friend from my University days: the shape of the face, the mouth and the expression were uncannily similar. I attended his funeral just under a year ago. Of course it wasn't Onkel Otto but had I simply see the photo out of context it would have taken me a while to realise that I wasn't looking at my friend.
So what has this got to do with being thankful? I am very thankful for the time I've spent over the last two hours this evening reflecting on my Uncle Eric, on my friend from University, on the sort of life that Onkel Otto and Meike's Mum's family had and on so many other things brought to mind by this post.
However the most moving part of the post for me was looking at a photo of Meike's Mum's Onkel Otto and realising that the person looking at me in the photo (the one simply entitled 'Uncle Otto') was a friend from my University days: the shape of the face, the mouth and the expression were uncannily similar. I attended his funeral just under a year ago. Of course it wasn't Onkel Otto but had I simply see the photo out of context it would have taken me a while to realise that I wasn't looking at my friend.
So what has this got to do with being thankful? I am very thankful for the time I've spent over the last two hours this evening reflecting on my Uncle Eric, on my friend from University, on the sort of life that Onkel Otto and Meike's Mum's family had and on so many other things brought to mind by this post.
Thank you Meike's Mum.
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I too have reason to be thankful to Uncle Eric.
ReplyDeleteIt was in his little red automatic Corsa that I was able to learn to drive on single track roads - passing places and other car drivers stopping in the middle of the road to chat to one another were at first a nightmare but that kind little car helped me to be confident to drive so differently to on the mainland. Thanks to you Graham and to your Uncle Eric.
Ah yes Pat. The Little Red Corsa. It all seems so long ago.
DeleteGraham, your post was as moving as my Mum's - thank you! Also, thank you for taking something from my blog as an inspiration for your own blog post. You know I would not have it considered out of place, had you written a long comment often using the word "I" - but of course, turning it into your own post is even better!
ReplyDelete(This made me, by the way, think that I often write "I"-comments... maybe I need to change this and relate more directly to what the person whose blog it is has actually written than expanding on what it has to do with me.)
We all use comments to pass on our own thoughts and experiences Meike. I certainly do it all the time and I think for the most part that's one of the purposes of comments. It creates a dialogue. On this occasion for some reason it just seemed a bit out of place.
DeleteIf you never wore a pair of jeans until 2007 that may explain why you seem to be getting younger by the year... ;) On a more serious note, I loved the post by Meike's mum too and I agree it was the kind that stirs up a lot of one's own memories too when reading it. I never sat in the bath with my jeans but I was young in the 1970s and I've loved jeans ever since.
ReplyDeleteNice one Monica! Mentally I'm sure I am getting younger by the year although I may have reached my peak of youth now.
DeleteThanks for linking to Meike's mum's post, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteOld photos always bring back old and treasured memories. I would have loved to meet both Onkel Otto and Uncle Eric, they both seemed like nice gentlemen.
She was very lucky to have a multi-generational family home.
I have loved jeans from a young girl, and they're still my favorite fashion choice.
Virginia, my Mum will be well chuffed to know someone came over from another blog specifically to read her guest post! Thank you for that.
DeleteI went over and read the post Meike's Mom. what great post. No wonder you spent the evening reflecting on your Uncle Eric.
ReplyDeleteThank you for going over and reading the post on my blog, Rad! Glad you enjoyed it.
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