one of those sentimental hygiene nostalgia posts, look you see. as opposed to one of them future legend things, i guess, but i shall try to use my powers of fortune telling soon for a post. anyway, you have been soundly and routinely warned.
there are some moments which kind of live on, be it in heart or mind or whatever it is that gives us some inexplicable intrinsic subconscious wish and will to survive, perpetuating as "memories" until, well, until we know no more of life. incidents which, if Life On Mars (proper English original, not USA remake) were true, *** SPOILER WARNING *** then most of us would also be looking of a big building to run right off of the top of so we may live them again forever.
i am fortunate enough to have several such experiences. one, the most curiously compelling, was a sun fading afternoon into evening spell of just jumping from some form of wooden structure into a river, or lake, or body of water, again and again in some long since forgotten place in Australia. just the feeling of it makes it a sentiment to remain.
and, with us here north of the equator being fundamentally in autumn, another such moment comes to mind.
yes, truly, with the ever decreasing amount of daylight giving a clue to such, it is the presence of conkers which makes autumn so. for those unaware, conkers are (i suppose) chestnuts off of horse chestnut trees. a quite popular thing to do was to soak them in vinegar, drill a hole though the centre, tie some string through the hole and then use it, quasi-weapon style, to twat the similar fashioned conkers of your mates at school.
but of course it is so that "the kids" do not really do this much any more. partially this would be down to assorted school "bans", with the safety of children now being something considered worthwhile, which it decidedly was not in my youth. also, and in fairness, "the kids" are off on technology wasteland missions these days, far too distracted for such simple pleasures as what conkers offer.
to tell the truth i was never all that bothered about conkers. for a start, i seldom, if ever, had the patience to let them soak in vinegar overnight. also, my aim was generally terrible (i didn't have smart assassin glasses frames then), so it is not like i particularly enjoyed the game or sport.
what i do recall fondly, however, is one autumn evening gathering these sought after conkers. it was in a wood by a farm, with classical, traditional "what's an environmental concern?" orange street lights making partial vision possible. myself (obviously), Mum, my sister and indeed my brother roamed around and in between the trees, gathering up bags full of them.
it was so that we probably spent less than an hour doing this. the feeling, though, is that we did this perpetually, forever. perhaps that's a result of it being an experience never far from my mind, especially not when the season for it all is here, back.
of course there is a temptation to go and redo or recreate it, maybe taking the boys out to gather them up. it would, of course, not be the same, and nor would i wish it to be, for as far as we are aware life is supposed to be lived forwards not backwards.
right, let me let you get on with this autumn business, then. or indeed that spring / summer thing should you happen to be reading this south of the equator.
be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment