Thursday 12 June 2008

1968


This is myself, taken at my preschool in 1968. I'd be about 4 1/2 or 5 years old.

I remember that place quite well, even tho it was demolished about 25 years ago. Two large rooms, basically in a large old wooden church hall (complete with floorboards scattered with old rugs), with an overgrown yard out the back with some steel playground climbing equipment scattered about. The front was a small enclosed area where we could ride bikes and things like that.

One thing I remember about that room was all the books. Little Golden Books and large picture books. Perhaps my passion for books and enjoying reading stemmed from those early days at preschool.

The ears are still the same... sticking out like there's a mighty following wind. The hair covers 'em these days, I guess. And the hair... gawd-along knows why my parents took me to the same barber/hairdresser for 10 years, "Alf the Barber" at Warringah Mall. His only cut was short-back and sides. I'm not kidding! I'm sure I wasn't the only child in the Brookvale area who rejoiced when the old geezer finally died!

I'm convinced that's why I've got long hair now, all because of those short-back and sides from Alf the Barber!

My hair was white at this age. Not blonde, but white! It's still 'fair' but a lot darker... even whisps of the 'non-blonde' stuff cropping thru here and there. Welcome to middle age.

I suffered from a terrible overbite with my top teeth, simply because I sucked my thumb for so long! I was probably about 7 or 8 and still thumb-sucking at home. Strange.

I've always enjoyed drawing, as I'm fiddling with a crayon here. I spent hours of my days of childhood drawing and doodling. It wasn't until years later that I actually started sketching using ink crayons and chalks, when i was teaching. unfortunately, as i got out of the habit, i've kinda "lost the knack" of sketching nowadays. pooh. I've still got all the stuff here tho, even an easel and all the chalks. Just... I've lost the knack somehow.

I've still got that dimple below my left eye. Awwww!

I love the technology evident in the background... there's an up-to-the-minute computer sitting there - one abacus! Perhaps if I'd spent more time fiddling with the abacus and Cuisinart's (?) rods, I'd be a bit stronger with my maths now. Seems literature appreciation won out. heh heh.


There is an old photo, taken at the same stage, of a small group of boys in the back yard of this same preschool. (I've no idea what happened to the pic...)

Twenty years later, I ran into one of those guys again. He recognized me right away, but I didn't recall his face at all. In the end, we ended up being in the same church small-group together. Funny how paths recross further on down the track, huh?

What is amazing about this photo, is my second son, at the same age, looked almost identical! Scarily so!





Whatever happened to...?!?



(With sincere thanx to Cassie for the idea, and for breaking my blogging dry-patch - even tho I have about 30 draft posts sitting here!)
Peas be with ewe

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