Since the dawn of time...

Wie geht's?

I know I'm rapidly approaching old geezerhood but the fickle nature of popular culture was pretty evident as I watched the pre show previews while at the latest Mission: Impossible movie on the weekend.

One preview was for the Barbie movie. This is the teaser:

At its conclusion I turned to Jacky and said, I bet not many people get that reference to 2001 A Space Odyssey. 

Jacky's reply: what reference?

When I asked a couple of teachers at school - no one knew the classic Kubrick movie. My hairdresser? Nope.

I feel my survey is pretty comprehensive!

One of the greatest films of all time, and in 2023 it's all but forgotten.

Except, it seems, by me.

Which begs the question: why in the blue blazes did the Barbie people decide to base their teaser on it?

Blowed if I know.

Love and peace - Wozza

There in my heart, there is you (Caravan)

JFP, New Plymouth 9 July, 2023

Wie geht's?

As I've been spending a lot of time in New Plymouth recently watching Jacky and her sister deal with their mother's passing, the relationship between brothers and sisters has been on my mind of late.

Bear with me as I extrapolate...

My brother and I are yin yang - two opposites joined within a circle. The opposite circles within the big circle could represent our parents - as they were separate people, yet, fused together, we all contributed to a whole, cohesive image.

I continue to realise how special my childhood was. At the time of course you know no better - it's just how life is as you grow up. But life and experience, and hearing others' versions of childhood makes me realise again how privileged I was. I like to quip to Jacky that I have lived a charmed life - and so I have!

Ross and I were very close as children, but we are very different people and we went down different rabbit holes after I left home. Of course, we will always have a healthy brotherly bond but we don't figure in each other's lives beyond the surface. 

Sisters though. That looks way more complicated from where I'm sitting.

To my mind, Jade and Samantha are not so much yin yang, rather they join together to make one side (the yin), while Keegan and Adam join to make the yang. Jacky and I are those separate but together circles within the circle. Together we make a whole, cohesive image.

Sibling rivalry is fascinating and complicated. As brothers, Ross and I were treated exactly the same by our parents and our interests were so very different that we didn't clash that much. Apart from brotherly spats and fights when we were kids (i.e. Ross would get frustrated when I beat him at sports and do things like throw the bat at me), I can't think of a single instance where we have clashed as adults.

As for my own children, the same holds true, I believe. As children we aimed to treat them the same, but they battled it out for pecking order and the middle two had some intense moments. Since adulthood though, I can't think of any such moments. I guess the rivalry between the four is ameliorated somewhat by living in completely different countries, but still, they support each other and get on well as adults.

In times of trouble, I know I can count on them for support and love. It's reciprocal too: I am exceedingly proud of my kids and love them unconditionally.  

Love and peace - WNP

Please believe in me when I'm gone (Hamilton County Bluegrass Band)

Wie geht's?

This week we were faced with the task of emptying out a loved one's house after they had passed away. 

Thanks to the demands of the Housing Corporation, it had to happen quickly. They gave us a week and, although it was a tight deadline and sooner than we had anticipated, we managed to do it with a day to spare.

It was a family effort by G Brian, the sisters, the brothers-in-laws plus Jade and Kerry.

For me personally, it brought back memories of clearing out my grandfather's house before he went to live in the Masonic Village, and of course, what my brother and I had to do at Maygrove, when our dad died.

In Pat's case, most of the household items were donated to the Hospice Shop in New Plymouth, but the cherished keepsakes luckily found a home with Jacky and her sister.

We were pretty amazed there were so many! Jacky had previously believed that many things had gone missing but Pat somehow kept a remarkable treasure trove of items over the years, despite many moves 'up and down the line'.

I loved seeing the inscriptions in a few books from her childhood, and a magazine from St Philomena's College in South Dunedin. 

Recently, she had told me about a copy of David Copperfield that she'd won at school as a speech prize when she was nine, and there it was in a pile of books!

Thanks for trusting us with these legacy items Pat; know that they have found good homes.

Love and peace - WNP

Dream of only me, where I am, what I am, what I believe in (Neil Diamond)

Sisters and brothers-in-law raise a glass
to Pat. 

Wie geht's?

Me? Doing the best I can in New Plymouth.

Sadly, this week marks the passing of my mother-in-law Patricia Mary Smith. She was a feisty 83 years old when she passed away at home on July 9th, 2023.

We are all defined by many things. One is our relationship to other people. Pat was a true people person. 

Among other things...she was a daughter (to James Joseph Bulman and Dorothy May Bulman nee Dooley)

She was a sister (to Marg and Bonny)

She was a former wife (to George Brian Smith)

She was a mother (to Jacky and Michelle)

She was a mother-in-law (to me and Gavin)

She was a grandmother (Nana Pat to Keegan, Adam. Samantha, Jade and to Lee, Kerry)

She was a great-grandmother (to quite a few!)

She was principled, staunch, spirited, cannie, prescient, generous, stubborn, kind-hearted, fierce. 

She was a mainlander, and a battler to the end. 

She was no fool, nor did she suffer them.

I will be forever grateful to her because she brought two wonderful women into the world. 

Her legacy is in them.

Rest in peace, Patricia Mary Smith (nee Bulman) 16 September 1939 - 9 July 2023

Farewell, and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Love and peace - WNP

It is generally said that a wise person often appears to be dimwitted (Hsing Yun)

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

Wie geht's?

Don't want to brag or nothing, but I'm really really good at positive compartmentalising.

Say whaat?

Com-part-men-tal-i-sing = dividing into sections or categories.

As named by Sigmund Freud, compartmentalisation is seen as a defense mechanism - a positive strategy, if you will, that is used to avoid feeling anxious.

The process involves the brain separating feelings or thoughts into different 'compartments' to avoid stress and anxiety. 

Whether this is something you can learn to do, or if it's an innate talent, I'm not sure, but I'm good at separating things like work, exercise, and home life. As I'm exiting the school gates, I'm good at closing that compartment and opening up another on the commute homeward.

It's a bit like folders in an email inbox or sections in my phone's Samsung Notes. Each one is discreet, and each one helps me sort my life out.

My Samsung Notes currently has 20 sections in it. Things like: Groceries; blog post material; Films and books; school notes, and so on.

If I had one section with everything in it, my brain would explode!

Admittedly, ignorance does have a part to play here too.

When those emails are tucked away in a folder, I can relax and forget about them. They're still there, and easily accessible, but I don't have them constantly in my mind.

As Hsing Yun says, things that we should not know we don't need to have any knowledge of, so that we are always carefree and at ease.

Somehow, over the years my brain has been trained to act like those folders and Samsung Notes. When I tuck something away, I know I can access it, but I choose not to.

Ignorance is bliss.

So far, I've been discussing positive compartmentalisation, but I also need to acknowledge the dark side.

That would be the tendency to ignore things and opt for bury-your-head-in-the-sand compartmentalising.

I'm aware of that tendency, but I see that as a potential byproduct of compartmentising that I avoid for the most part - although Jacky might argue with me and she may have a point.

But this is my blog - so I'm gonna maintain that I can compartmentalize like a boss! 

Try it! Who knows, it might work for you too.

Love and peace - Wozza

Oh, the water, let it run all over me (Van Morrison)

Photo by Sami Takarautio on Unsplash

Wie geht's?

After a pretty tough week, I needed a reminder about what's important and my copy of 366 Days With Wisdom did not disappoint.

July 1

Contentment is like a magic stone; everything it touches changes to gold - happiness. 

The rest of this entry for July 1 poses a question - where do you find happiness?

Hsing Yun's answer - Happiness is found in belief, cultivation, service to others, and in a tranquil heart. As long as we have a heart, happiness is within our heart.

Good to be reminded of that!

Love and peace - Wozza