Joshua declared last night that we had to celebrate St Patrick's Day this year as we recently found out that my great great grandmother was Irish. While I knew all my life that we had English roots (my maternal grandmother was born in London) and I knew Dad's grandfather was a Pom, we never had a clue that we had Irish roots as well.
Got me thinking about the family tree thing. My sisters (who are MUCH older than me) have researched the family tree and from what I can gather didn't get as far as what I got from a free trial on ancestrydotcom but I was never that interested. I guess middle age makes you ponder stuff like that.
But what family secrets emerge from the research! I learned that my great grandfather on Dad's side topped himself by cutting his own throat in the backyard (as you do) and that my grandfather, wonderful man that he was to me, I idolised him, was involved in a suicide pact with some woman who actually took the poison but he didn't. He was also charged with landing a plane on a busy street in Maroubra in the 1930's.
So do we really need to know this stuff? I had a memory of my grandfather that I cherished, he died when I was about 11. To me he was always this tall, handsome, kindly man who just loved me.
I guess the jury is out on what we need to know about our heritage. My darling Uncle Bill, my father's younger brother, who died in 2009 painted my father as a war hero. He adored his older brother and we both enjoyed our conversations about Dad and what they used to get up to as lads. When I got Dad's war records I found that Dad wasn't quite the hero at all, he was just a troubled motherless kid who wanted to fly planes like his father. I never, ever told Bill and I'm glad I didn't.
I have stuff that my kids don't know about, some of it will never be revealed, but other things........I wonder if they need to know any of it?
They finally paid us. We had to defer several scheduled payments and there was a worrying few hours of counting notes and coins (and borrowing from tycoon Josh!). Yes we live from pay to pay like many families do. Phill works hard, the least, the very least they can do is pay him on time. I do poverty well however, having lived it many times in the past. I shine in adversity. Phill got really angry with them yesterday and threatened to not work until he got paid. It looks like he didn't get the job he applied for but it was less money and he would have been on 24 hour call (we've been there and it's not pretty, especially with the dickhead drivers this company employs). But he went off to work, not wanting to let other workers down. Barstards, this company is going down the gurgler I've seen it before. People are leaving in droves and the only workers they can get are idiots. I've worked in many industries, including small business and I've never seen anything like how some rail companies operate.
Up too early again, even though it's Saturday. All I can hear is the magpies and the whirr of the ceiling fan.
3 comments:
Unless it was history making....maybe it's better to let "sleeping dogs lie." ;0)
I don't know. I always think it is interesting- but I think it does have to be looked at with a grain of salt and a sense of humor. Personally- I put more stalk in a little girl's impression of the granddad who loved her than anyone's account of his war record. I mean- we change, we grow, and so on- maybe he grew up a bit over time? Or maybe it doesn't matter because he loved you and that's the important thing in the end.
My granddad says that our Irish left Ireland for the United States because they tax collectors run out of town :-) His sister of course thinks they were royalty. I'm sure if Aunt Mary could trace Cleopatra to Ireland we'd be decedents of Cleopatra *grin*
so glad you got paid - its horrible when money that is yours is with held
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