We’re doing a bit of a clean out today and hiding in the bottom of one of our sailing bins I uncovered GW’s wetsuit. It’s a tatty old thing that 37 years ago was state of the art neoprene – a newfangle fabric regarded with a high degree of suspicion. At the time GW was into waterskiing (long before I met him), but it’s seen a lot of action since.
It’s been sailing in the UK in the middle of winter (competing in the Plum Duff races on boxing day with or without the ice), surfing at Currumbin Beach, diving on the Great Barrier Reef, snorkelling in the Whitsunday and racing beach catamarans in North Queensland. Along the way it’s been patched and had its knees chopped off because they were past the point of repair. Its zipper died and no one was prepared to try repairing so I stitched velcro into it instead. It’s faded from royal blue to grey.
More amazingly GW managed to squeeze himself into it! Zeus was on hand to administer mouth to mouth if required but no, GW even looked a bit like the young guy with great shoulders that I married.
And so the wetsuit has been given a reprieve. It’s going to head south with us and will hopefully do some sailing up the east coast of Queensland. The funny thing is I didn’t realise I’d married a hoarder. Seems GW might have a touch of the sentimental fool in him after all. Makes me all gooey and starry eyed.
Do you have things in your family you simply can’t part with because they have too many memories?
How gorgeous, Margaret, to have a Teddy from your 5th birthday!
I can see why Ron may be a hoarder with such precious things to keep safe! His father’s drum sticks would be very special.
Love it, Kathy. I have several t-shirts I refuse to let go because they are too strongly connected with precious moments. I have a scruffy dark blue thing that has a dugong hand painted on to it left over from flying a partenavia doing dugong surveys over Moreton Bay.
I think GW’s taken your advice to heart though and I can’t even find the darned wetsuit now…
Yes, Helen, I admit to having stuff I won’t let go of: like the teddy bear that Santa gave me when I was five. 🙂
However, I’m eclipsed for hoarding by my husband Ron, who has an amazing collection. Perhaps not so surprising, his must-keeps include organ pipes, books, and his father’s wooden drum sticks. He also has several piano accordions, other musical instruments, and much, much more. 🙂
A white T Shirt that I bought in Milan in 1988.
It has a drawing on the front on a toaster and two airborne bits of toast that are shaped like dogs. It reads, “Can Carre. … (can’t remember the rest). Found a European who said they think it reads, “Before sleeping, toast the dog.”
It’s just so offbeat that I’ve never been able to part with it, tho DH said, “That thing needs to go. I can see straight through it. You may as well not be wearing anything at all.”
I said “OK”, but then I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t throw it out.
Hang onto the wetsuit GW. Hold it with both hands and whitened knuckles if you have to 🙂
Yeah, Sandy, my wetsuit was a lost cause… Didn’t get passed my knees…
Love the idea of your grandmother’s ceramic koala bear and can completely understand why BG still keeps his grandfather’s leather flying helmet. I also have several books that will need to move aboard the boat with us. Some things are just too precious to shove into storage!
Way to go, GW! Wish I could fit into a wetsuit I had 37 years ago. 🙂
Excellent work, Zeus.
We have a couple of things that no matter how many moves we go through still come with us. I have a dish of carnival glass and a ceramic biscuit jar in the shape of a koala that belonged to my grandmother (currently holds tea bags). BG has a leather flying helmet that belonged to his grandfather. It’s really cool.