I usually listen to LBC Radio when I’m sitting down to my bucket of coffee and now much reduced breakfast , but there seems a lot of shouting everywhere at the moment. Shouting on the tv, on radio, in real life and in blogging, that I’ve turned on classic fm.
To be honest that was all a bit much too and so I’m now sat in silence
Last night David Sidaris discussed how he was once berated by a woman for talking about vaginas. He made a simple enough point, for as a fifteen year old aide in a psychiatric hospital he was once witness to a naked 80 year old woman having “ therapy” a scene which would have turned himself gay if he hadn’t been gay already.
The point of his essay was simple, for when David left the sadness and restrictions of covid lockdown, the complainer’s power was diminished to nothing.
I get this…covid was poisonous in so many ways
Last night, a friend phoned. Like me they have just entered their seventh decade and they were feeling it, like I do after two long day shifts.
They talked about feeling on the last lap of life so to speak, where they needed to do all those things they’d planned to do, before age and illness and covid and the like could stop them.
I recognised this feeling
That last Hurrah kind of feeling.
“ So what do you want to do ?” I asked.
“I want to see the Sagrada Familia” they said
Feelings intertwine..they always do. Mortality, and age and real life and post covid lethargy and a sense of a clock ticking…
“So let’s go” I said
And so we are going to see it in July!
Well done John and tell your friends that from me. Now I am 90 and can hardly walk my bucket list is greatly reduced. Even a walk round Tesco with my walker would be a treat. Make hay while the sun shines.
ReplyDeleteHurrah for Tesco ….treat yourself to one of those electric trolleys
DeleteDo I remember you went to Barcelona before? Or was that a trip that didn't work out? Or someone else entirely? Regardless, its a lovely city; I remember tiny very fragrant wild strawberries for sale at a street market especially.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your adventures!
ceci
My flight was cancelled last year
DeleteSometimes you just have to go for it don't you, and at our age it's wisest to go for it as soon as you think of it. I hope you both have a brilliant time.
ReplyDeleteThanks sue, what’s the alternative ?
DeleteComplain you are skint and shout at the moon?
Take lots of photos! We were there several years ago so more things have been built. I hope as I leave this earth I can fly by to see it one more time.
ReplyDeleteI’ve travelled to Barcelona perhaps 20 times but never seen the city x
DeleteGood for you, 2 trips planned. I need a lesson from you on spontaneity! xx
ReplyDeleteI’m not stopping at 2…I’m on a fucking roll
DeleteNow that’s good counseling! 😊
ReplyDelete—Fresca, rare commenter
Welcome Fresca , I’ll look forward to more comments from you , nice to have you aboard x
DeleteTick tock, tick tock, I hear it too.
ReplyDeleteYes it’s not a sound I want to countdown to dear heart x
DeleteAs they say: Time is of the essence. You've got some great trips in the works.
ReplyDeleteI’ve booked my flight with British airways , in the hope that will be no repeat of last years bloody shenanigans
DeleteMy computer was showing me "20 beautiful cities to visit" this morning when I turned it on. But the thought of traveling to most of them seems too much to me. I am thinking of picking the closest one to start...
ReplyDeleteGood for you, John. Yes, go while you can!
Next on my list is Venice and Florence , are they are on your top 20?
DeleteWe went to Barcelona for our honeymoon, and loved it. Going to see the Sagrada Familia then was like paying to see air. It would be nice to see it again. Lots of photos please.
ReplyDeleteI’m fascinated by your description can you expand on that
DeleteIt's still unfinished. No roof when I was there! I thought you'd been there.
DeleteI will be with you in spirit on your wonderful trips abroad. Seize the day!
ReplyDeleteI may become a male Miss Froy and travel on that intercontinental train
DeleteA long time dead indeed. Just get out there and do it, whatever it is.
ReplyDeleteI too have noticed the prevalence of shouting everywhere at the moment. I understand that the current world situation is enough to make anyone feel depressed but no point in wasting a life being confrontational and miserable. I see people here struggling with life but with a smile and a kind word despite everything.
It feels as though some are feeling backed into a corner. And are snapping at hands
DeleteI love knowing now that there is an unfinished church in Spain. It's not just me that doesn't always finish things:)
ReplyDeleteLol…..i sort of like the fact it’s unfinished , I see online , it’s concerts and services are fully booked
DeleteI wish I had a friend, or indeed, was a friend, like that. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteWell you could be a friend to yourself and say YES to your next dream
DeleteMost excellent and may the planes fly on time both going and coming home!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if I'll have time and energy to make all of the qilts I'd like to make. A bit of stitch every day will get some of them finished.
Hugs!
Amen and thank you DeArheart xxx
DeleteTwo wonderful cities which I have visited.Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteBarbarax
Two cities I have not x
DeleteYou are a good man Charlie Brown!
ReplyDeleteThanks peanuts
DeleteGood! It will be wonderful to see the building in person.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of the alien ship in Aliens..only with colour
DeleteOh gawd! More fuel for Anon!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy Barcelona. You are certainly getting your mojo in gear.
Oh yes, she will be twisting her knicker elastic with some force tonight I suspect….but listening to sidaris and his pithy review of his trolls ( oh I wish I could write like him ) made me feel miles better.
DeleteIt’s easy to criticise others on line, how they interact, how they review a film , how they are……
Ain’t that the truth!
DeleteAs soon as I saw the headline I thought....ooh here we go,here we go, here we go. Anons knickers will be in a friggin knot for sure hahaha.
DeleteJo in Auckland
Oh John don't think of it as a last hurrah sort of feeling. I'm a wee bit older than you and have been thinking how I want to fill my life with good and joyful things in the last, hopefully, third of my life. Let's hope for tons more of the best life and save the last hurrah for our last weekend on the planet when we should aim to go out with a flourish.
ReplyDeleteWhen I use the term the last hurrah, I’m talking about that realistically usable period of time between 60s and 70 s. It was a generalisation rather than a declaration of imminent demise
DeleteSmashing. Onward and upward.
DeleteWhat still haunts me was when after my 56 year old mum was taken from me - I emptied her wardrobes - finding lots of unworn clothing with labels - all sorts of occasions never worn x
ReplyDeletePerhaps her shopping not the wearing that brought the joy flis!
DeleteLife starts out as a blank canvas and you should fill it with as much colour as you can.
ReplyDeleteFor this week only, I suddenly feeI that I have a brush of sorts
DeleteJohn, make sure to upload the SF app onto your phone before you go and take headphones. Essential to listen to the audio guide, there didn't appear to be any other way when I was there last year
ReplyDeleteWill do that’s a great idea . Happy to have any suggestions of decent places to go and eat or stay x
DeletePerfect.
ReplyDeleteI’m not one of the elite bloggers so can’t leave a long considered reply
DeleteBut I will leave u a considered , thank u x
When I was a teenager, my father told me that I should travel before my feet can’t take it or my stomach can’t take it. That is exactly what happened. My first husband passed away at 48 years old and that was another wakeup as to how short life could be. I married again and got doing everything I had always wanted to do, bought a yacht, sailed across the Atlantic from England to Grenada, met three gay girls looking for crew to sail from Hawaii to Seattle, so did that, with my husbands blessing and sailed again with them from Costa Rica to Tahiti. It was so peaceful at sea, we always were lucky weather wise. I am now 82 and have good memories of the life lived so far, so John, just keep on keeping on. G.G. From Toronto
ReplyDeleteNow blog arses now you know why I do allow anonymous comments …what a cracking one by GG
DeleteI SO WANT to hear more about your story , because it’s way more interesting than anything I could even dream of …
Thank you so such
Thanks John. My friends, when I had some said that I should write a book but I think you should. I love your blog and have been a faithful reader for a very long time.
DeleteI’d like to hear more about your adventures
DeleteThe weird and wonderful Sagrada that loomed outside our Barcelona apartment windows. There are various things in life to live for and learning late in this decade that construction of Sagrada has been completed is one. If you want to see inside, book well in advance.
ReplyDeleteWhen hubby, now gone for three years and I were anchored in a tiny island in the Grenadines, met a couple who were on a sailing charter yacht and we got chatting..turned out they were also from Toronto and lived within walking distance from us. They took some photos of us and our boat and when we came back to Toronto a few months later found the photos in our mailbox along with a note saying give us a call when you get home. I called her and she told my she was getting ready to go to India with a friend and I said I would like to go there too. Well her friend backed out so she said was I serious and after getting the ok from my wonderful hubby I said yes I was. She invited me to her cottage for a weekend to see if we got along, we did and we backpacked around India for ten weeks and had a great time..Jean made sure we didn’t miss anything, she lived ever day to the fullest.. unfortunately she passed away a couple of years later but while she lived she really lived. G.G.
ReplyDeleteOh John, you'll love Barcelona - we went there way back in 2007 and I've never forgotten it. The cathedral is stupendous - the idea that one man could have such a vision, and actually deliver, it is mind boggling. But there's more that's magical there - the Gaudi house (do the tour) and the other Gaudi places - especially the Gaudi Park Guel and also don't miss the Joan Miro Art gallery - a bus ride out of the centre. All so worth seeing. Oh, you sensible man - GO FOR IT!!
ReplyDeleteYou might as well live life!
ReplyDeletehave you ever had a disastrous time with someone you found difficult?
Go, do, experience, enjoy,
ReplyDeleteBravo for helping your friend's "bucket list" come true!
ReplyDeleteWe only got to see the Familia from the outside, didn’t realise we had to book! Must go back one day, and be more organised… Karen S
ReplyDeleteYou will love both cities, Rome is just amazing, it’s one of the few cities I could live in, at lunch time find a street cafe and just people watch, their evening meals usually start around 8-9pm and involves the whole family from ( well behaved) toddlers to grandparents, Barcelona has the amazing La Sagrada church, it always makes me think of Gormenghast very gothic looking though I’ve never seen it without scaffolding around it, the art galleries and museums in both cities are a must, I’m so envious of you going to these cities you’ll love both of them.
ReplyDeleteThat last comment was Tweetart
ReplyDeleteIt must be contagious 'm definitely feeling that myself. Time to start the bucket list.
ReplyDeleteWe had an out of town jaunt on Saturday and that was the first since pre covid, felt pretty special that we actually bothered. Not in the same league as you but I realise how introspective my life had become by having to make the effort to drive for 3 hours to get to a family do. Felt great but also felt great to drive home and say...we did it. It's easy to become reclusive I think despite me being a social animal.
ReplyDeleteJo in Auckland
That last bit rang familiar to us (66 and 78 year old couple). We've planned a one month trip to Europe in July, including three days in Barcelona where we are looking forward to seeing the Sagrada Familia too!
ReplyDelete