What would you save?
So you are standing in your house as the flames start to lick the walls and floors and the smoke is curling through the air and you know you have to get out. Everyone is safe - your family, your pets, it is just you in there. And you can save only one thing from your house, the place where all your memories are stored and all your material possessions are collected.
So what would you save? What one thing would you wrap in a protective bubble to make sure that it is still there after the flames have blackened everything else?
So what would you save? What one thing would you wrap in a protective bubble to make sure that it is still there after the flames have blackened everything else?
That's a pretty easy question to answer for me.
Already been through it. Okay, so I burnt my own house down, okay?
I'd save a tiny little suitcase that contains memorabilia from my days in religious life, along with a couple of hard-copies of my writings that I'm yet to tranfer back into digital form.
Why I wouldn't save my computer? I can get another one, but some of the items in that suitcase? They can't be replaced. One is 2000 years old.
Why wouldn't I save any photos? I burnt them all. Dug a hole in the ground in the back yard and just burnt the lot. Before I burnt the house. Love homes. Not that keen on houses. Or memories of when a house was a home.
Great question, btw.
David ...
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
Some pictures are worth saving, those are the ones that should be kept. Some are recollections of sadder times, they are the ones I hope you burnt........
Well, I have to say, that if I have any regrets in life it relates to some of the photos I did burn ... (they are a bit irreplacable) ...
The house? Pfft! The personage in it? Pfft!
But some of the photos?
I so wish I hadn't burnt them ...
I can't show them to anyone any more ...
I can see them in my mind ... but can't share them with anyone ... (without writing another 3000 words! ... Somedays? I get so sick of writing words! Seriously ... *** There are days I'd just like to dispense with words altogether ... but it's okay ... I get over that ...
But I would have loved to have shown a couple of them to someone else ...
The ones I remember most? ... Well I studied a bit of photography in my time ... and did a bit of sheep shearing ... when I felt like it ...
The pics I took in shearing sheds at sunrise and sunset.... when golden sunlight stained 100 year old blue floorboards into a shimmering gleen ... like a wet glassy pond ... and splayed light like ducks scattering? They're the ones I miss most ...
That being written ... There will come a day when I have to let go of everything ...
Until then? I'll keep holding onto myself for dear life ***
Me? Yep. Got a good grip on myself alright ... daily...
Okay, hourly ... ***
David ...
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
Continue to hold on to yourself..daily...hourly...momentarily.....
Ash
Rugby World Cup 2007
Oh wow.
I thought this would be an easy question to answer but... trying to formulate an answer, the more I think about it....the harder it gets to choose.
Do I grab the whole box of my back-up disks that has everything I have ever done on a computer and all the photos that I have ever taken (and I mean ALL...I have scanned all the pre-digital ones....this was an intensive labour of love) and all the features, articles, etc I have written and all the scanned clippings, etc, etc....
OR...do I grab the watch given to my father by my mother when she found out she was pregnant with me, and the accompanying note; "...pearl...." **?
**Ash....I have deleted a lot of what I wrote...too too private...
I'll be back...this is a connundrum.
Considering I think myself to be a practical person in ever way (Mary Chopchop-ins!), I haven't really thought this scenario through.
Hmmm.
DuskDevi
Rugby World Cup 2007
Um, be back in a tic ...
Okay, back now ... sorry ... a bit longer than I thought ... words have real effect on me ... as much as pics do ... okay ...
And, Oh hang on a minute ... what is that DuskDevi woman writing now ...?
Scrolling up ... Scrolling down ..
Oh, okay ...
Boy she's a distraction if I ever saw one ...
Fuck, forgot the question now ... and I've done too much scrolling to continue ...
David ...
Joe Blogg's Blog
manchesterunited
collingwoodfootballclub
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
Yeah someone asked me that the other day and I honestly did not have an answer for them. I'm not sure what I would take either. It would be nice if in situations like this you could actually get to choose - interesting to see what it would be in the moment though - totally different to their answer in the calm cool of everyday life I bet!!!!
Thanks for stopping by!
Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
Bohemian Hiphop
Japanese Jazz Funk
Optomystic Opportunism
Second - my writing.
Third - Homer's The Odessey. I haven't quite finished it yet.
Oh yeah and this weeks Spectrum (SMH). My clothes should be alright...they'll get the "protective bubble". Should all be in pretty close proximity...
OKAY EVERYBODY, STAY CALM, THIS IS NOT A DRILL...etc
Always Eighteen
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
*lol* better hope those flames are slow moving! Is this music your own ie that you compose?
GET DOWN LOW AND GO GO GO!!!!
Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
Cheers
Ash
Joe Blogg's Blog
manchesterunited
collingwoodfootballclub
And you have to start rebuilding immediately.
Everything else you can borrow.
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
great question and I have already made a contingency plan for this very conumdrum.
I have a big wooden tool box at the foot of my bed with everything of real value to me in it. If there is a fire I will heave this 60kg box onto my shoulders *just kidding* ... no, I'll drag it out the door.
In it are backups of all my digital poems, works, articles, book, and thousands of photo's and my artwork/illustrations. I have my precious handed-down jewelry in it too and a couple irreplaceable antiques. Hard copies of all my poems and 'back-ups' of my very favourite movies - all 200 of them... *lol* ** Now you can see why I have to drag this thing ... perhaps burn in the fire in the process too ... *guffaw*
It's covered in a collage of Egyptian art, something I love to draw and paint - iconic religious stuff - symbols and figures and ancient mysetery school swirls, all meaningless and yet full of meaning to someone, somewhere in time... sometimes I think my house looks more like a museum, truly - but history... aah, history...
Now you've got me thinking, perhaps I should put my guitar in the box too?
Hmmm, obviously a good time for an update inventory...
thanks for that ...
:Lilla...
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
I have always dreamed of finding a treasure chest such as you have. Every house I have lived in I have always searched for secret hideaways where things from days gone by could have been stored and forgotten.
Every time I look at old photo`s or rummage through things in an antique store or garage sale I always spend ages going over them for secret compartments......wouldn`t it be great - I hope whoever finds your treasure chest one day appreciates it....
Ah Egypt - will have to go back and add more lines now, how could I forget that mystical place?? (ps saw "Night at the Museum" the other night - you reckon all Pharoah`s were so hip? Great film, laughed to tears!)
Hopefully you will never have to use this plan, but good that you have thought of it - as you say
Have a treasure chest of a day
Ash
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
we'll have to add a jam to that list of things to to together.
I saw night at the museum too yesterday [or the day before] - moving fast now with the kids at home on holidays.... whiiiiiizzzzzzziiiiinngngngngngng past like nobody's business....
I loved it too and can't wait until it's on DVD. I will get a copy of it.
Yeah, wow : what a cool phar-oh-my-gosh... *l-ing ol*
.. and Mickey Rooney and Dick Van Dyke?
.. do you think it's our love of history and geography too?
The whole thing was ...
(((hillarious)))
glad you saw it too, did you go alone
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
Dick van Dyck and Mickey Rooney were classic weren`t they? I have loved them from since I was a wee one - good they have shown their faces after so long!
I think you may be onto something with the love of History and Geography - my mum is a fan of neither and she was left cold by it, so perhaps it does. I had tears and splitting sides when he was councelling Atilla the Hun - my word I can just imagine it *cracking up again*
No I dragged my cousin and sister to watch it with me...they have left their imaginations under their pillows........Eragon is next on the list, this may take a lot more persuading.............
Bohemian Hiphop
Japanese Jazz Funk
Optomystic Opportunism
To answer your question Ash, I do write my own music but rarely bother to pay to get it recorded. I think I will though, sometime this year.
I've got about 20 songs recorded, me doing all the music and vocals. I would like to dedicate a whole album to Japanese Jazz Funk, not that I've heard any before, just made up.
And you?
HEY you're not going anywhere Lilla, speak and be heard!
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
No I don`t write my own music - I wish I was that talented! I kinda just pluck away and imagine that it`s a song *lol* in my head it is anyway! And I sing worse than Mumbles from Happy Feet so that`s my little bit of relaxation I save all for myself.....
Lilla has just gone for a flight around the world on her broomstick, riding alongside us on the magic carpet.....do feel free to join, we were just hovering above the Taj Mahal watching as the sun has started to rise and reflections started to dance in the waters in front of it...........
Bohemian Hiphop
Japanese Jazz Funk
Optomystic Opportunism
Bohemian Hiphop
Japanese Jazz Funk
Optomystic Opportunism
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
*raises glass of bubbly* CHEERS!!
Yep she`s been whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiizzing around all day...well after her housework that was.....
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
I'm back, I took a picture for you, whilst I was there, check it out... {ash, you won't believe it if I tell you I was looking at this very picture on my wall this morning... you must be psychic?}
Phew, that was some ride, actually I was out at Bribie Island Ash, swimming. The day's been hot and I take the children out there in the arvie for a late dip. The surf was choppy, but swell...hmmm, nice glass of white shiraz and kicking back into the evening...
Hello Opto,
I have written heaps of my own songs and performed a couple of them too, in London and Canberra wine bars ... a few years ago now as I went on a hiatus to have some babies for a while. I'm only picking up my guitar again in the past couple of years becuase my brother(s)-in law are both musical - one a perfomer ... they've inspired me again, I suppose... I'm trying to do something with my eldest daughter who has taken up the Didgeridoo ... maybe something interesting there in years to come?
Hey, that's exciting news about your recordings though... I'd love to get some of my stuff recorded one day, that'd be really cool. I'm thinking of selling some of it now so that a younger generation can jazz-funk-wrap it up a a little perhaps...
I'd love to hear some of this Chinese Jazz-funk ... sounds both brilliant and bizarre - but REALLY interesting... I have a huge collection of world music from all over the place and especially love mixes such as these....
Hey Ash, the new broom is excellent!
CHEERS
*sip*
Lilla
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
Beautiful pic - it`s beautiful isn`t it?!?!
Ah yes it certainly has been a day for swimming - the water did look a little choppy this afternoon but cool i imagine.... I am enjoying the breeze that`s coming through the window - ahhhhhhhhh it`s refreshing
hhhmmmmm I`m missing my wine, but January is my cleansing month so no alcohol, give the liver a little rest so that it will love me for the rest of the year - I will *CHEERS* you with a glass of apple juice instead......
Opto-mystic - sounds like you and Lilla could be onto something here - can I be the agent?!?!
Happy writing to you both
Melting........................
Bohemian Hiphop
Japanese Jazz Funk
Optomystic Opportunism
Anyways,
Here's a best seller for the last 300 years. Call it a review if you must.
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
intriguing...........
Joe Blogg's Blog
manchesterunited
collingwoodfootballclub
But looking for a pair of cufflinks in a smoke filled room aint really smart.
It is often very easy to get bogged down with sentiment.
In a strange way starting completely anew can be very empowering.
Gifted Parenting
Freelance For Life
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
Yeah I hear what you are saying - clean slate and all. Although it`s hard - once I had to start all over again (not due to a fire) with few things and it`s amazing how you miss stuff that you never thought you would.
But I agree with you - it in empowering to start from anew - sort of create a whole new life for yourself.
For future reference - please don`t scratch around for cuff links! Not a good plan
Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
Ah yeah something like that could never be replaced...ever! A journey through ones life is certainly worth saving, especially for one day when the grandkids are around - I hope they appreciate it!
Thanks for your comment
Ash
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
yes, sorry, I did modify it, there you see... I must've known you'd read it... it was really meant to be, I mean you seeing it ...
certainly intriguing how that works...
Lilla
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories