The long chain of gold that binds me.

Wie geht's in your lockdown bubble?

These are memorable days! Or are they?

I'm going to riff on this for a few posts (probably, or it could just be this one - that's the way I roll).

This idea was prompted by a great passage in, erm, Great Expectations. Here's Pip:

That was a memorable day to me, for it made great changes in me. But, it is the same with any life. Imagine one selected day struck out of it, and think how different its course would have been. Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day.

Pause.

Iron or gold, thorns or flowers: I have so many memorable day examples to draw upon it's not funny, but I'm going to narrow it down to three major gold links in the chain, without which my life would have been much different:

1 The day I watched the Ed Sullivan Show and a group called The Beatles came on and blew my socks off (not literally but they rocked my world for evermore). 

Place and time - our lounge at 18 Korma Ave., Royal Oak, NZ. Although the show happened originally in February 1964, it didn't reach NZBC until many months later.

Picture me - age 7, alone in front of our black and white set. Mesmerised by John Lennon.

Without that seminal experience my obsession with music in general, and The Beatles in particular wouldn't have happened.

2 The day I attended an interview at Mt Albert Grammar in late 1970, and answered Mr Hall's question, "Do you have a career in mind for when you leave school?" by saying, "Yes, I want to become a teacher'. 

Picture me, as an out-of-zone applicant from Manukau Intermediate - age 12.

Without that response, and if I'd failed at that interview - no teaching career, and consequently no number 3 below. 

Luckily, my dad was a MAGS old boy so I got an out-of-zone place and no one there ever tried to dissuade me from my goal - even though I failed everything!

3 The day in December 1982 when the Headmaster at New Plymouth Boys' High School, Tom Ryder, rang me at home (4 Ramelton Rd., Mt Roskill South) and asked me a few questions and then said a telegram was coming offering me a job!

Picture me - age 25, off and running in my first teaching job.

Without this day I would never have met Jacky, our four children and one grandchild wouldn't exist and the world wouldn't be spinning correctly on its axis.

Love and peace - Wozza

Normality is the great neurosis of civilization (Tom Robbins)

Photo by Shari Sirotnak on Unsplash

Wie geht's?

Are you looking forward to normality after Level 3 of the Lockdown? Or even (shudder) normalcy?

I like 'normality'. I'm not partial to 'normalcy'.

But, and this is addressed to any of my children who may be reading this, I do acknowledge 'normalcy' is a word. There I said it! Yes, it is a word, albeit an ugly ugly ugly one. 

Why do have this aversion for one and a partiality to the other?

I have a modicum of time on my hands so I will venture to explain myself.

Normality is English. Normalcy is the American version that was first used in 1855 as a mathematics term and then later popularised in 1920 by US President Warren G Harding who used it as a campaign slogan: 'A return to normalcy'. Jeepers.

Ever since then, Americans have latched on to it and now, thanks to Levels 1 to 4 of Lockdown, it's migrated to Nu Zild's news readers. Last night one reporter even threw in a new version: normalicy. Although, to be fair - I have heard the correct word also used from time to time.

I begrudge normalcy, just like I, ironically* begrudge 'program', 'theater', 'labor', 'flavor', and all the rest.

*Ironically, while I was at Royal Oak Primary School my mother was called in to discuss the wayward Americanised spellings in my work - thanks to my reading and assimilating Americanisms from the comics/books I was reading.

Anyway - yes! I'm looking forward to a bit of normality! That's for sure.

Love and peace - WNP

No pill's gonna cure my ill I got a bad case of lovin' you (Robert Palmer)

Photo by Chloe Evans on Unsplash

Wie geht's?

Coping?

Some of you probably aren't doing so well, I'm guessing.

So, here are some coping strategies (that work for me), adapted from Arash Javanbakht: 

• Get your facts from medical experts, and websites such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health authorities, not from rumors or random social media posts. Knowing legitimate ways of protecting yourself and your loved ones provides a sense of control and reduces anxiety. And don't listen to The Donald. Ever!
• Do not get obsessed with the news, and do not keep checking for hours and hours. In NZ the 1.00pm PM's news briefing has become a daily ritual - that is all you need! Oh, and Jacinda's Facebook messages are positive and informative.
• Give yourself a chance to be distracted from bad news. Watch movies or TV series, documentaries, or comedies if you want to watch something (Jacky and I can recommend Schitt$ Creek on Netflix).
• Remember all the activities you always wanted to do but did not have time. This does not have to always be projects or housework. It could, and should, include fun activities and hobbies.
• Keep your routines. Go to bed and leave bed at the same times you did before, and eat your normal meals. Now you can spend more time cooking and eating healthy.
• If you are a social person, stay connected via phone, video chat (our family aims to connect each week via Zoom) or other technology. Physical isolation should not lead to social isolation. Connect, especially now that you have free time.
• Stay physically active. Regular exercise, especially moderate cardio, not only improves physical health and immune system but also helps with depression and anxiety. Trainers are offering free home exercise training these days online or on TV.
• Meditate and use mindfulness techniques. Right thought!
• Work on your garden or gardening projects. You will be safe, active and productive.
• Finally, know that this too shall pass. Medicine will ultimately control the pandemic. We are a very resilient species and have been around for millions of years. We can survive this with wisdom. 

Love and peace - Wozza  

P.S. stay safe, save lives.

Love and marriage, love and marriage, Go together like a horse and carriage. This I tell ya, brother, you can't have one without the other (Frank Sinatra)

The most comprehensive family group shot we had taken that day. L to R standing: my dad, Graham; sis-in-law, Michelle; groom - Wozza; father-in-law, G Brian; sis-in-law's then husband. L to R sitting: Jacky's grandmother, Alison; bride - one hot chick; G-Brian's then wife, Sallie. My brother was absent from this photo, but attended the wedding (as pictured below).

Wie geht's?

It's anniversary time. Cast your mind back to 21st April, 1984, when Michael Jackson's Thriller was enjoying a 37 week run as the top album (replaced by Footloose). 

If you were around in 1984, where were you? What were you doing?

The  answer, for a few of you reading this, was - in a church in New Plymouth, New Zealand watching a couple of crazy kids getting ready for their mystery ride. 

Wedding photos were a tad different 36 years ago. The photographer we engaged made up an album with what she thought were the best shots, unlike Jade and William's January nuptials which resulted in hundreds of photos, we ended up with about 30!

Nevermind. It was a great day. A tremendous day. Everyone said so! A day that we really enjoyed and a day full of memories. It featured a few promises and a bond that will never be broken. 

Happy anniversary Jacky!

Love - now and forever - WNP

Come gather 'round, people wherever you roam and admit that the waters around you have grown (Bob Dylan)

Wie geht's?

Books bought: 

Bwahahaha - I wish

Books read:

Robbers' Roost (Zane Grey)
Swimming Home (Deborah Levy)
Glory Days: from gumboots to platforms (Dr Glam)
Kidnapped (Robert Louis Stevenson)

Tale Of Two Cities (Charles Dickens)

Week 57 of Nu Zild's lock-down (pretty sure it's week 57 - what is 'time' anyway?) and the 'books to read' pile is down to three. Aarrrghhhh!!

Luckily, two of the three are Dickens' novels. So, like, that's good.

Robbers' Roost was a proper old timey western with an anti-hero, a feisty damsel who needed rescueing, baddies in black hats, epic landscapes, outlaws, cattle drives and gunplay!

Swimming Home I read over two days - it fair galloped along with Levy's classy literary style. After two of her books, I'm a fanboy.

And so to A Tale Of Two Cities. Woah - heavy stuff dude and so, like, appropriate to our life and times. I predict a number of apposite and pithy quotes (they'll be full of pith) appearing on The Purdzilla Show blog in the next few weeks.

Love and peace - Wozza

Check it out now, the funk soul brother (Fatboy Slim)

Wie geht's?

As I was researching the pictures for that Wozza in the seventies celebration (see back a couple of posts) I came across a veritable mountain of family snaps featuring me and my younger brother. 

Our dad was a keen amateur photographer and he took loads of pictures of us together. I hadn't quite realised how many!

Before our lives diverged at the end of 1981 (I moved away from home to flat by myself while going to Auckland Secondary Teachers' College), we were 'the boys', as in Dulcie, Graham and the boys.

From our perspective in 2020, those 22 years when our lives intersected, from 1959 to 1981, have become a relatively short lived period in our lives. 

For much of that time, though, as these pictures show, we were tight as. 

Off to Sunday school

Love and peace - Ross' older brother

Maple leaf, falling down, showing front, showing back (Ryokan, Soto Zen monk)

Wie geht's?

Autumn in Maple Grove is pretty cool. As regular readers know, I love autumn - dark, misty days, beautiful colours et al. Why wouldn't you love autumn?

Maple Grove is well named - we have quite a few maple trees on our 3 acres! As regular readers know, I love maple trees and maple leaves.

So here's a selection starring Gracie (playing the horse), and Jerry (as the dog):

Shade sails are stored away until summer

And it's goodbye from Jerry...

...and goodbye from Grace.

Love and peace - Wozza (as himself)