REMINISCENCE.......

I was born in the country town of Wangaratta in North East

Victoria and grew up out in the sticks on a dairy farm. I was

the first born and so the oldest I have three Brothers. We are

a close knit bunch and do enjoy each others company. My Mum

is 77 years old and she is the loveliest Mother one could be blessed

with. My Dad was killed accidently by a tractor in October, the year

before I was married, The tractor rolled on him and one of my

Brothers who was 11 years old at the time found him and had to run

for help miles down the road to another farm because the phone

exchange was out of order. So at the tender age of sixteen and a half

years old, my wonderful, loving Dad was gone to the next phase of his

life cycle, and we were left with heavy wet eyes and an emptiness

in our hearts that no one could fill. But we have such fond, loving

memories that have lasted the longest day. I went to a little state

school out in the boondocks and almost all of us were related to each

other in some shape or form. The most kids that ever attended at one

time was twentyone but that was a rare year. The usual number was

between seven and fourteen at any given time. My first day at school

started out badly, I had learnt to ride my bike in the lead up to the

anticipated first day of school. My bike was a big ladies bike

(26 inch in size) So off I go, I'm supposed to meet my cousin a mile or

so down the road at the junction under a sign post. I reach the

designated meeting place and I wait....what seems a life time to a little

girl and not a sign of Glynise my cousin, so I get back on my trusty

bike and peddle off to school all by my self, not realising I'd left

before Glenise had got there and when she thought I wasn't coming

she went home again. So a trail of panic set in, but was sorted out and

I was told not to ever do that again. It was a long hilly ride of just over

five miles to the little state school, quiet a long ride for a five year old

on a big bike. Some of the kids used to ride their ponies and put them

in the horse yard for the day. When I was eleven another school

started up closer to home, the parents of the top-end had campaigned

and built a new school themselves and the government supplied the

teacher but I only went there for one year and then it was high school.

To get to high school I had to go and stay with my Nana because

where she lived they had a school bus. Which took me to school in

Wangaratta some 31 odd miles or so away. I used to meet my cousin

every morning and walk to the bus with him as this was very daunting

for a while until I settled in and got used to it. I always loved school

although I was never the brightest star in the class.

STAY TUNED FOR FURTHER INSTALLMENTS,

GOODNIGHT & GOOD MORNING.

12:26 - Sunday, October 2, 2005 - post comment