Home again, home again jiggety jig.
Only for one night, then away for the weekend to celebrate my grandson's engagement. Only an occasion as important as that would get me on the road again so soon.
Aiden is keen on tennis, a sport I played a lot when his age. I took him to a coaching session and since then have been reflecting on how different things were back in the day. No-one taught us how to play any sport but I was lucky to live next door to tennis courts where all the youngsters in the street played. Best playground ever! We watched the older kids who were good players and tried to do what they did. Peter Wilson was my tennis idol; my friend, Marie wanted to emulate her brother, John. Oh, I can still remember the two of us sitting on the sideline, breathless with anticipation, when Peter played John.
Marie and I, and two boys from our class were the school tennis team and played in a schools competition around Brisbane. Every Saturday we'd either be at the school courts or finding our way around Brisbane by train or bus to play. I don't think the parents of any of us ever saw us play except for us just playing for fun on the courts next door. Mum might have glanced out the kitchen window occasionally but usually when she did it was to see if I was playing and tell me to come and do some chore or other when that game finished.
The older kids were patient with the younger ones and we knew we were improving when an older child invited you to play with them. Names long forgotten have been popping into my head since I started thinking back on it all. There was never any formal draws of who we played with or against but somehow we sorted it out. We didn't appreciate it then but I think Forrest Street may have been a very special place to be a child.
As always when in Taranaki, I tried several times to get a great photo of the mountain. This one was a quick click before I went inside to get my camera.
I'm falling out of love with my camera. I struggle with finding the correct setting, sometimes my memory is the problem, at other times it's my eyesight. I think I'll just stick with the phone.
This shot is taken with my camera. I like the phone shot better.
I was never any good at sports, nor interested in watching it... I agree the world has changed a lot since my childhood though. From when I was five, we lived in a village. I could walk right out into the woods from our garden, and often did. I was often out playing with friends out of sight from my parents. We also walked or cycled unsupervised ~2 km to and from school along a road with no pavements/sidewalks. (Except in winter, with snow, when transport by taxi was arranged for a bunch of us living in the same neighbourhood).
ReplyDeletePlaying tennis was sometimes fun when I was young then I ended up breaking my collarbone a few years later and that put a stop to any sports I tried. It's good you were involved in your grandchildrens activities.
ReplyDeleteWere you "breathless with anticipation" because of the tennis or the hormones? Congratulations to Aiden and his girl on their engagement.
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