Todays five things which I am grateful are things that shaped me as a person. 1. I am eternally grateful of the childhood home I had. It was a shack. A beautiful little, quaint, held together by sawdust glue, medly of wood, tin and other recycled building scraps, in a state of flux for most of my primary school years. A tiny little sort-of two-bedroom shack, more like a one-large-room building. I thought I loved it, then I went to school and some of my friends werent even allowed to visit/stay over. Maybe their parents were germ-a-phones, maybe we just looked like dirty hippies, but it never worried me to live in a shack except for those parents who made the wrong call. Our house was safe- with my mum around it was never a dirty shack.... We had to colle t sticks, to light the fire, so that we could cook and have hot water. Sometimes we bathed in the dam or from an outdoor shower. Life was sweet because we all had to to do something to get something. I thought we lived in a hole being in bowraville. In high school I couldnt wait to get out of there. And now all I do is plan a way to get back. If not there than to a place where life can be as sweet. Funny how life has a joke at you. I should point out that my dad built a fantastic mud brick home while we lived in the shack. Lets just say-BEST HOUSE EVER!! 2. Growing up without normal amounts of electricity. We didnt have electricity only 12v and a solar panel. We got abc and watched dr who, monkey magic and roger ramjet. Thank goodness- alternatively I couldve been a part of the Baywatch , 90210, fanclub! Thank god I dodged THAT bullet!!(I remember how I used to complain that all my friends would be watching but not me.... Oh geez.... 3. Bush. BEST! Im so happy and grateful I grew up in the bush. Apparently as a four year old- when we moved to the bush I used to stand at the front gate and yell at the top of my lungs- somebody visit me! I still do that but now I am used to being away from people I would really much prefer to be lonely than crammed into a big fat city.... The bush gave me endless games and adventure, treasures of nature, tracks and paths and views! Friends were walkable distance over one hill or the other where I could find two of the best families of people I have ever met- the Dingles and the the Cutchers. I loved these guys s much- sort of like the brothers/sisters I didnt have to take home and I really miss that feeling. Soren And Ned were my mental besties for a while and I will always think of them as extended family. I now live in a town and hardly even know the people across the road from me! (Not from lack of trying). Nature is where we should all be raised. Nature can raise and teach us. It used to be everything on a sunny Sunday afternoon. (The only reason I like cement is for ROLLERSKATES). 4. Im glad for such a massive mental family. We all have one or know one. Mine is MENTAL! And fantastic! Lets just say my mum has eight brothers and sisters. That always leads to fun and games. The best thing about our mental ness is that they are all mental together. All so different and from such a struggle-town background- these Spanish/Phillipino/Australian crazies are irreplaceable and were very influential- did I mention mental? Ok so you see the family resemblance?!i am now a very tolerant, accepting person. (Who is also deaf...) My Abi was the glue of our family- now she has gone but she will always live on inside us all-as part of my family and a part of my children... 5. The generation I am lucky enough to be in. When I was growing up, global warming was an idea tossed around. Not yet in writing. We had freedom from judgement as there was no social media, no mobile phones, and in my town, few global trend influences. There were no wars- kids paddock-bashed in old cars, hyper colour was like a techno hippies dream! If it was on record my dad had it. If it was on cassette tape I had recorded it. You could video cassette tape record RAGE then record to cassette the next day! People waited if you were late-there were no mobile phones to call you. We lugged massive text books to school and hand wrote thousand word essays! With pens!! Food stores carried products resembling food- I know, it even tasted like real food! (Not like today). Im not trying to sound old- it just used to be simpler and more rewarding. Now Im scared to let my kid out the door, I have to read food labels and the water in my tap is essentially poison. Wriggles were the biggest water drinking concern when I was a kid. I am eternally grateful of the perspective I have on life, simply from being born in generation x. Those Xers before me-I hope they realise what they had.... Everything Today I start tagging: the idea is this, if youve been tagged, it is now your turn totally about five things you are grateful for, for five days. Youll be surprised how hard it is to stop. Share the positive things in your life to remind others that although they may not be winning life at the moment, that there is so much to be thankfull for. And in this way we are all winning! I hope you enjoy it as much as me! Matt Cindy Rebecca Carmen Tanya
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 23:04:55 +0000