south
I never spent my teenage years wanting to get out of here. Instead, it was always a place to come home to. A country of long views. (Boarding school was where I wanted to escape from… but that’s another story.)
The people here are different – the voices I notice first; the broad kiwi curled up with a soft Scots burr.
And they’re more aware of connections – here I am someone’s son / brother / uncle… so even if I don’t know who they are, they all know who I am.
There’s a place here if I ever need it. It’s not automatic… but I’d get enough time to earn it. And that’s nice to know.
Jasmin
20 November 2004, 09:16 #
I love those connections - and when you see people from back home you haven't seen for a while, we're all fascinated by who has got married/had kids/bought the smith's old house ... and we all keep that map of connections going and stretch it out like an enormous spiderweb across the world. It amazes me sometimes that our tiny little home with the last pub and garage and dairy on the road can have such a strong hold on our hearts, and that it will always be the ultimate home. It's the place where you come back after 15 years, and people just say oh, haven't seen you for a while, I heard you were up at the Douglas's place ......
Alan
20 November 2004, 12:32 #
Jasmin - you've nailed it better than I. So true.