Remembrance of Times Past

Recently I have reconnected with two old friends. Perhaps there is something about growing older that draws you back to your past. You realise there were times that were really good, and the bits you would like to forget are pretty much forgotten as you focus on the happy moments.

Anyway, I was thinking about all this for a couple of reasons. While organising my old photos and memorabilia I came across the diary I had written in 1964 as a 16 year old. It was all Beatles, and boyfriends, parties and girlfriends, with words such as 'fab' and 'wow' liberally dispensed. All I seemed to do was sleep over at my friends' houses, have a new boyfriend every couple of months, have fights and makeups, and discuss clothes and music.  School was mentioned every now and again in connection with exams or dances.

Connection 1
One of my best friends during high school was Lesley. We had done lots of things together all through those five years.

On the Narrows Bridge, Perth,
watching the Head of the River race

At a school dance

At Quinn's Rocks when it was a faraway coastal
holiday place full of fibro shacks.

Here we are being silly at a school sports afternoon.

Another school dance. These were my close friends. That's me third on the left in case you can't recognise me; what was I thinking having my hair tied back?  Lesley is next to me. My dress was red chiffon with a silver belt.

And on our last day at high school...

I am sure other people have similar experiences.

We lost touch after high school as I went on to teachers' college and Lesley to university.
And then...... 50 years later, Lesley calls me as she has seen someone who knows my current number. But she doesn't leave any contact information and our phone did not record incoming call numbers.  I decided to do some detective work and after a while, tracked her down. We talked and talked, our lives being fairly similar in that we had moved a bit, travelled a lot and had two children.

We exchanged photos but, so far, have not met again as Lesley is still living in Western Australia.

Still looking great!

Connection 2
In 1965, my first year at Graylands Teachers College in Perth, Western Australia, our family billeted a student from an Adelaide Teachers College. Kay Hannaford arrived as part of an exchange week with the South Australian colleges that included art and craft displays, lots of sporting functions and theatre events. Kay was a hurdler; I was in our college play. I can't remember much about this week at all apart from the ball we went to. We never kept in touch afterwards.

1965

 And then, when I moved to South Australia I decided to see if I could find her.
With a bit of sleuthing I did. We met recently ... and had such fun reminiscing and filling each other in on how our lives had unfolded. There were some startling similarities - lots of travelling, a deep interest in history, and we both had a book published.

Kay's book

My book

Kay had also kept a copy of our ball photo as I had done, so, of course, we had to do a similar photo - 52 years later.

2017 

Of course we have aged but, at the same time, we still felt the same. I'm sure that sentiment will register with others our age.

My two reunions have been wonderful. So connecting to our past can be a good thing!