Forgotten celebrations
"So I can’t remember what day it was in June when we made things somewhat official but I do remember hundreds of days when seemingly nothing happened but our hands touched and our eyes met and we were home."
Sophie White - Image
No I haven't forgotten my wedding anniversary, (that's in December), but not only did I forget to look at Jane Grigson on spring greens (see yesterday), but when I was writing about anniversaries and celebrations a day or so before that, I forgot a few pretty significant ones, so I am going to try and redress the balance, by at least noting them.
1. On July 15 it was the third anniversary of this blog. Actually I did not forget this one, and indeed I did ponder on writing something about it, but chose, in the end, not to. I'm still not quite sure why. I think it was because I thought it would make me depressed and make me question yet again why I am doing this. Well I suppose that, fundamentally I quite enjoy it, and it's a discipline that makes me feel good - the downside of that being that, of course, if I miss writing a post I feel bad. Still - three years - and I now see I am nearly at 800 posts so I suppose it's quite an achievement. Not up to those wonderful people who keep a diary every day of their lives though. Yes they exist - I know of a couple at least, so there must be millions more. Still - three years. Not bad. No celebration of any kind though. The day passed, though I guess, in an oblique way, I did sort of acknowledge it - to myself anyway - by writing about celebrations.
2. Rather more importantly - no much more importantly. On June 12 we reached the milestone of 50 years in Australia. We should have had a big, big party. Our lives fundamentally changed on that day. But we completely forgot this one.
3. Not a personal anniversary this one, but one that prompted us to remember the arrival in Australia one - the moon landing on July 29. Reminders of this event are all over the place of course, and I don't know that we would necessarily be all that affected by it other than to remember the actual day - which we both do quite vividly - if it wasn't for the personal connection to the greater celebration of our arrival here. I remember I was out looking for a job in Melbourne, and watched it - along with a whole lot of other Melburnians on a television set up in the windows of the Gas and Fuel building. So thank you to the moon publicity for reminding us that we have been here for 50 years. More than double the number of years of my life to that day back in 1969. And that day passed without notice too.
Then there are the very belated celebrations about to occur in our family - our ex almost daughter-in-law's birthday and my own birthday. Well David and I did celebrate my birthday with a glorious meal at Mercer's (and his too - it's only ten days later), but my actual daughter-in-law is arranging a lunch out with the 'girls' of the family to celebrate and none of us have got round to it yet. Sunday is our day for a hopefully yummy dinner out to celebrate Nic's birthday.
Which begs the question of whether we really do need to celebrate these things or not. And does it matter if the celebration is not on the actual day?
Well no I don't think it does matter if it's the actual day. In fact I think it's rather nice that we can celebrate something that's passed. In the manner of this card, which I rather liked, and the quote at the top of the page too. Although I guess one should acknowledge the cause for the celebration on the actual day in some small way. In the case of anniversaries and birthdays, and other things that involve the feelings of another it's surely much more important to keep the feeling of celebration throughout the year. People are important on days other than their birthdays and and wedding anniversaries, and we should always remember the changes that walking on the moon, and all other such celebrations - Shakespeare's birthday, the end of WW1, the day the Berlin wall came down ... made to the world. Even if it's a rather sad yearning for the feeling of the world as one at that one moment as in the case of the moon landing. But on a smaller scale I am very much looking forward to the two upcoming belated birthday celebrations. And they are a reminder of the actual reason for the celebration too.
If you put your mind to it you can find something to remember and celebrate every day. Although, of course, we don't. And the older you become the more forgetful too. But don't feel bad. Did you know that there is a National I Forgot Day on July 2nd in America - well - only in America one is tempted to say. But I rather liked this little bit on the National Day Calendar site:
"This day is one to simply “not remember”. If you have ever wished you had an excuse for those things you somehow let slip your mind, today you have it! You can celebrate today by just letting yourself forget.
Some celebrate today a bit differently. Another way to enjoy National I Forgot Day is to make good with all of the things/days/events that you forgot to acknowledge. Send a card or greeting to that certain someone and apologize for “forgetting” it.
A third and final way to look at, or celebrate, National I Forgot Day, is to take any bad memory that you have stored (or if you are just having a bad day) and simply – FORGET it!" National Day Calendar
All of that. Perhaps we should have a belated 50 years in Australia barbecue - it would have to be a barbecue wouldn't it? So it will have to wait - the weather is far too miserable for that right now.
