Just thinking out loud ( Archived) (22)

I saw a thread the other day, and it brought me back to my child hood.
Someone wrote about their grandfather, who they had never met and I felt sad for them because I remember my grand father and great grand father.

My great grand father was a giant of a man. Dry and serious, and spoilt me rotten. He told me stories of his life as a fisherman and also manned the lifeboat. He saved many lives in Dun Laoirghe. Anything I asked for he would get it for me or get someone else to get it for me. We lived in a 2 bedroom parlour house with him my grandparents and my aunts uncles and my parents. He tucked my into bed each night and told me stories. Later his eye sight went and I visited him every week in a home for the blind. I was eight when he died and my memories of him are so vivid. I always feel like I have a friend out there, even at times when I felt alone, his face becomes so clear in front of my face.
My grand father was the total opposite. He was a small thin man who started work when he was eight and did not stop until he was 72. He was always playing the mouth organ and doing Al Jolson impressions. I remember him sitting for hours in front of Charlie Chaplin and falling around the place laughing. He walked 8 miles to work each day and the same home. He was funny and happy and always had a story to tell. Ireland was a different world then from what it is today and hardship and poverty was everywhere. He mended his children's shoes. In his day most children did not have shoes and he himself went to school bare foot. He made sure none of his children ever went bare foot.
Both my grand parents were great story tellers and I would sit for hours listening to them tell me of their lives and life in Ireland. Stories of the black and tans and 1916 and 1922. They taught me Irish songs and I remember them all.
On my grand parents 60th wedding anniversary, we had a surprise party for them. My grand father had cancer then and was dying. It was such a happy day but also a sad day. He told the story of how all them years ago he had seen my grand mother walking down Merrion Square with her sister. He said he knew instantly that she was the girl he would marry. He followed her for a while and saw her go into one of the houses. He came back a few times and caught glimpses of her. Eventually after a few weeks he worked up the courage to speak to her.
My early childhood was spent in a house that was so over crowded but was always full of laughter. Someone was always doing something and love and laughter was built into the walls. Now today, I think of my aunts and uncles as my brothers and sisters and my cousins as niece and nephews. I was spoilt, but not in a way that kids are spoilt today. I got love and attention and always felt special. No one ever shouted at me or told me to be quiet. I have the happiest of memories and I think this is what shaped me. I hope that I will make my grand child feel the way my grandparents and great grand father made me feel.

Awww thats lovely Lorraine.. what a lovely childhood.

Awww thank you Lorriane for that brought back memories of my own childhood not much money but full of love. I feel i had a privileged back ground. running wild in the mountains with my siblings. Thank i will be going to bed smiling now thinking of happy times

it will make a nice change from George Clooney then..

Aww Lorrainne you know im not one for the sloppy stuff but

that was Beautifull...Thanks for sharing

My standard dream is about an elephant following me home and me worrying about it as it has to stay out side because he to big to fit through the door.Been dreaming the same dream for years off and on. Please no one Analise me i don't want to know

Ooo weeeeird

I always had frogs. Everyday I would go out and come home with frogs jumping out of my pockets.

buckets of frog spawn in the back yard, turning from tadpoles into frogs.

Am I imagining it or did the sun shine everyday then for the whole summer.