“And what is the use of a book,” thought Alice, “without pictures or conversations?” (Alice in Wonderland)

Bookshelves in the background at 18 Korma Ave.

Wie geht's?

While reading this pretty cool article about why some people read, and others don't, I quickly flashed back to our house in Korma Avenue, Auckland in the 1960's.

Not for the first time, and it certainly won't be for the last time, I thanked God for allowing me to born into a home run by Dulcie and Graham Purdy.

There are many, many reasons why, but check this bit from the article:

Why some people grow up to derive great pleasure from reading, while others don’t. That why is consequential—leisure reading has been linked to a range of good academic and professional outcomes—as well as difficult to fully explain. But a chief factor seems to be the household one is born into, and the culture of reading that parents create within it.

Number 18 Korma Ave contained some impressive built in book shelves. I love that idea - that permanence of a place to put the books.

Many times I would gaze through the shelves, looking at the spines of the Doctor At Large, Hammond Innes, Alistair MacLean books, and many others while growing up. 

The culture of reading was important in our house - as I know it will be for Asher at Jade/William's place.

During the weekend, I collected all the books for children I have in my collection (some are mine, some are mum's, others I've accumulated) and put them in Asher's room at Maple Grove. 

Ready for him. 

Love and peace - Wozza (far left in the picture taken by dad, with my brother and the Adsetts - Lucy, Jack and Dulcie)

You may say I'm a dreamer (John Lennon)

You May Say I'm A Dreamer is also the title of my autobiography.

I wrote it in 1992 when I was 34 years old. Jade wanted to read it again last weekend and because it leaves out a lot of her life (and mine) since then (she was born in 1991) I thought it was ripe for an update and inclusion on the blog (which was not available to me in 1992).

Hopefully it will be fun to write (and rewrite) and read!

The first page has a couple of quotes on it that I love:

Sounds of laughter, shades of Earth are ringing through my open views inciting and inviting me. Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns, it calls me on and on across the universe (John Lennon).

Well - I guess I'm  just a sentimental old fluff (Groucho Marx).

You can't always get what you want but if you try sometimes, well, you might find you get what you need (Mick Jagger).

Jacob begat Joseph
Joseph begat James
James begat William
William begat Harry
Harry begat Graham
Graham begat Warren 

The prologue:

Why?

I started this whole autobiography thing in 1991 as part of a teaching unit. I always aim to model activities so I started writing...and couldn't stop!
Pretty soon I'd filled a pad with scribbled notes during class time. One thing led to another and what started out as aiming for two chapters turned into eight!

Some amazing things happened as I wrote. I had loads of blanks where details were missing. In 1991 I still had my dad around so I started asking him questions. This meant a new kind of dialogue with him. I'd write him letters and be really knocked out by his reminiscences.

Old memories were eventually dredged up: many painful. Some things were traumatic to write about, but I did.

As I developed my writing I became more and more interested in my forbears on both sides of the family. A Purdy genealogy was a great resource, but unfortunately I don't have one for the Adsett side.

Reasons for writing an autobiography changed as I got more involved. I was into my seventh year of marriage to Jacky and by then we'd had four children; I thought they may get a kick out of learning my history.

In 1993 I rewrote a lot of the text after a English Teachers' Conference in Whangarei. During it Hone Tuwhare looked me squarely in the eyes and said, "Stamp!"

He was meaning a variety of things - stamp yourself on the place, leave a mark, be brave (kia kaha). That revved me up!

Now it's 2016 and after Jade left last weekend I reread the last chapter, the one that ends with her birth.

Lots has happened to us all since. Time to find out what!

Love and peace - Wozza

I thank the Lord for the people I have found (Elton John/ Bernie Taupin)

Ripped from my Star Wars desktop calendar!

1930

23rd April

Taumarunui, King Country, New Zealand

Dulcie Mary Adsett.

This is the time and place of my mother's birth. 

Taumarunui is/was a pretty isolated place of about 3,000 people in 1930 - with no other settlements within cooee. Hasn't changed much! It's still pretty isolated as a community.

She was the last child born into the male dominated Adsett family - three older brothers and a sawmiller father who abandoned the family shortly after my mother was born. I never met him.

The Adsett clan  at mum and dad's wedding

In 1930 New Zealand was still recovering from the first World War when the Great Depression hit with a wallop. Jobs and wages were slashed, leaving many desperate families. The world didn't venture much into regional NZ and it could care less.

I can imagine what life was like for the young Dulcie, her mum and three brothers. They never talked of these early days, or if they did I was too young to understand things. But it must have been bleak!

After a time the fatherless Adsett family moved from Taumarunui to Auckland and Dulcie went to One Tree Hill Primary School and ultimately a better life until she died far too young in 1983 aged only 53.

This week my thoughts have returned to those few facts as I've been watching episodes of the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are?

I know a lot about the Purdys but far less about the Adsetts. In that photo I can see people I know - my grandmother Lucy Constance Adsett; her sons Jack, Roy, Mel Adsett, Aunts Millie and Gwen, and two cousins: Alan and Lorraine. That leaves four people in the photo that I'm related to but don't know.

This year she should have been 85.

Love and peace as always - Warren