Regular readers will be aware by now that one of the chief delights of my life when younger was gazing out of my classroom windows and losing myself in daydreams. What cared I about matters pertaining to geography, history, maths and the like? I was too busy flying around the sky or saving the world - in my fertile imagination, at least. Sometimes I wasn't quite so energetic in my fantasies, and was content just to watch the clouds glide by in languid motion, going wherever it is that clouds go to.
It should therefore come as no surprise to anyone to learn that I still like to gaze out of windows today, observing the comings and goings of neighbourhood residents, the antics of assorted dogs, cats, birds, squirrels and foxes, and whatever else happens in a typical street. And yes, I still enjoy just watching the clouds drift by or contemplating the rain pattering off the pavement. Recently, however, I've become aware of just how few people I actually recognise in their daily perambulations past the panoramic perimeters of my property.
There are now only two faces I can identify from around the time I first came to this house over forty years ago. One was here before we moved to the area, the other took up residence a year or two after we arrived. There are others who've lived here for maybe twenty or thirty years, but for some curious reason I still regard them as 'newbies' and not yet established in the neighbourhood firmament. Strange how them not living here within the first few years of my arrival makes them seem like newcomers I haven't quite adjusted to yet.
There's a possibility that one of the old, familiar faces may sell up and move on in the not too distant future, and the other is retired and getting on in years. When the last link to how things once used to be has finally gone, I wonder just how I'll react to being surrounded by complete strangers with no connection to my younger days back in the early 1970s. I've noticed a feeling of 'displacement' gradually creeping up on me over the last few years as more and more 'well-kent' faces have faded from my everyday experience, and sometimes I almost feel like I'm the stranger who doesn't quite belong in these here parts.
It's then that I immerse myself in comicbooks from four decades ago and re-live the early years of when I first moved to this house, in an attempt to recapture the mood, the ambiance, the atmosphere - the flavour - of what it was like to live here back in the sensational '70s, when I was practically just a lad not too far removed from the start of my journey through life and all it had to offer.
Then I lose myself in visions of the past; where long-gone local worthies yet walk the streets beyond my windows - living, breathing, laughing and chatting as they did in bygone days, before they gradually fell, one by one, victims to time. I seek refuge in a place and a period which now exist only in memory, populated by the ghosts of yesterday, and the knowledge is not lost on me that, one day, my 'continuance' will consist of being nothing more than a lingering echo in the minds of others.
I guess I'm lucky where I live. Nearly everybody on our estate says, "Hello" to everyone else. Some are new, some are old residents, most of which I don't know their names, but I give them all appropriate nick-names when talking to the missus. But, they are good people and for that, I am grateful.
ReplyDeleteKid, it's interesting that you say the "sensational '70s" because all the political propaganda nowadays says that the '70s were a terrible time of strikes, economic decline, power cuts blah, blah. I suspect that a lot of people have quite fond memories of that time though. In fact a few years ago there was a survey which asked people to choose their favourite year and the most popular was 1976 which must have been a shock for the Tories and new Labour after all the effort they've put into demonising the '70s.
ReplyDeleteCol, the 70's were BRILLIANT times, - I worked through 'em and even the 80's under Thatcherism were marvelous times, compared to today!
DeleteThe 90’s was when the rot started to set in this country. I feel so sorry for the young of today.
As they say, JP, "Everybody needs good neighbours."
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Well, strikes, economic decline and power cuts all seem pretty sensational to me, CJ. The '70s certainly weren't boring.
John, I was born in 1966 so I remember the '70s but obviously I would have been unaware of the economic climate etc - I do think though that a lot of the problems have been exaggerated for political reasons. Where I grew up there was full employment (unlike now) and we didn't have food banks or the obscene wealth gap or massive consumer debt etc like we have now. The '80s may have been better than now but it was Thatcher's policies that brought us to where we are today - she was the one who started calling the '70s rubbish so she could justify her economic policies. And New Labour just carried on with the same economic policy.
ReplyDeleteWhere I lived Colin there were no food banks but there was poverty and folk went hungry and only a few helped out, there were slums (major so in parts of Glasgow especially) ans well but I agree the wealth gap now is scary even noted capitalist in USA are saying it could be a major issue with more and more going to the few at the top table., that cant go on, in the past we felt more in it together as most of us didn't have a lot (not that that is that healthy either) .
ReplyDeleteI loved the 60s. 70s and 80s ( most of the time) but lets be honest that was mostly because we were young kids, teenagers and /or young adults having fun, meeting friends, starting out on relationships, buying/renting first flats, learning to drive, first jobs and variation of these etc ie the premise of this great blog in many way - these are always exciting times and I see in my nieces the same sense of fun, I wouldn't say they were better than the 60s onwards but I would say the 90s saw a sea- change with technology and the way folk lived. Things around us changed though music, comics , TV film, sport etc and I suppose they affect our outlook, for me Comics are the only thing that (imho) are now worse, I love a lot of things from the past but think in general (and again imho) new films, cartoon, TV shows etc are fantastic now (as were some in the past) but sport and celebrity annoys me know (sport mostly as Scotland at footy are now only average , if that) but the celeb culture now is for me the most depressing thing and it takes up a lot of folks time.
My neighbours also say hello to me and chat at times but like Kid I see fewer and few but folk do move on lives change, I notice this in my work a large office all the remaining "lifers" those there more than 15 years always comment "who is that, I hardly know anyone" but to these new folk as you say Kid we're the strangers and this is an exciting time for them . Still give me 1970 again please.
It seems to be a common feeling to yearn for the past the older we get, McScotty. I suppose that's why I surround myself with reminders of it - then it doesn't seem so very far away. The celebrity culture we live in is a bit of a joke, eh? A church in our town got a male weather presenter to open their fete - hardly a draw, is it? Just because someone is on telly doesn't really make them a celebrity. I should know - I've been on TV and I'm a complete non-entity ('though not in my own mind, of course). I was once asked to present a prize at a charity event just because my local newspaper had published an article about me. (No, it wasn't 'Mental Marauder Terrorises Neighbourhood!') I did it, but I felt embarrassed doing so. Being famous for being famous is something everyone seems to aspire to nowadays, especially the young.
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