One of the advantages of growing old is that it is easy to Time Travel. It is quite easy to slip into a time far past. The time you retreat to can be as real as it was then and you can completely relive the time that you have travelled to. You can go through it all again.
Of course you do not always want to travel back to a particular time or incident. Some of these can be particularly painful. There is always a loop of painful memories lurking inside my memory bank waiting to be turned on. It only needs a slight trigger to set a loop off that is hard to stop. You are filled with regret and shame until the loop runs out.
Sometimes Time Travel can be very enjoyable.
I once did a Responsible Serving of Alcohol course held in a building in Wangaratta. This building used to be the old High school and I had spent two years there. The course was conducted in the very room where I had spent many an hour. One of my teachers portrait was prominently displayed on the wall. This teacher had organised the school building to be turned into an adult education facility and the Responsible Serving of Alcohol course was held there. Because of this they had his photo displayed in a prominent position. Of course, I went into a serious bout of time travel.
I was in a room with approximately 12 others. I was in my mid 70’s. One girl was 29 years old and all the others were under 20. The course teacher started by asking if everyone would introduce themselves and talk a little about themselves. When it became time for me to talk, of course I went into describing how enjoyable it was to time travel. The room was essentially the same as it had been 50 years ago. I pointed out that this was where Mr Synan and Mr Rowe played that very piano at a Christmas breakup. This was the very room where the Head Teacher had come into a room and told Form 1 Girls to cover up as he could see too much of their bodies. He had interrupted a lunchtime play the girls had written themselves. This was the room where a boy had slightly injured another when he sliced his hand with a paper knife.
I left the best for last. I pointed out that the photo was of Mr Cave who just happened to be the father of Nick Cave. Mr Cave was very keen on Theatre and every year would hold auditions for a school play which I always tried out for. He was not above bursting into song.
I advised the group that he would have liked to be a rock star just like his son became. Then I made the mistake of asking if they knew Nick Cave. Not one person was willing to admit to this. When I was confronted with silence I said - you know Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue had the hit song Wild Rose. Again total silence. No recognition whatever.
At this embarrassing point the Teacher took over and said we should move on as we were limited with time.
I concluded that the everyone else thought I was a pretentious old person who liked telling them how good the old times were. They were not going to encourage me.
Can I recommend Hemingway's Memoir - A Moveable Feast. This was his last publication when he was still alive. In it he essentially time travels back to his 20’s when he lived in Paris. When I read the book in my middle 60’s I was also sent into a series of time travels. Hemingway devotes a number of pages to a walk that he did one cold winter day. He walked because he did not have money to pay for public transport. He was also saving money by not eating and he was hungry. But he pointed out the walk approached magic. It can be greatly enjoyable to walk for several miles along semi deserted Paris streets in the middle of winter. This sent me into time travelling back to my time in London. I had often walked long distances when I was hungry. I had once walked from Earls Court to Kensington Gardens one cold overcast Sunday afternoon. There was hardly anyone else in the street. I took in every building. I enjoyed every step. It was magical and I knew it.
I once walked the length of Regent Street on a Wednesday Night in the middle of winter. As far as I remember I was the only person in the street. There was musak playing in most shops loudspeakers. Finally I came to a live Theatre that had what was going on inside playing on the loud speakers outside. I recognised the actor's voice. I went into the foyer mainly to get out of the cold. There was no one in the foyer. I walked on further and suddenly I was in the Theatre. The Staff were nowhere. I was shocked to see that the audience also were nowhere. There would not have been more than 20 people in the audience. Yet the actor, who was indeed a famous Shakespearian actor, was saying his lines with his great voice. I didn't stay. I had seen enough.
I am often reminded of this incident and go into a bout of Time Travel. It sets off other events. But all are true and exceedingly enjoyable.
Time Travel is one of the enjoyable things about old age.
Neville Gibb
June 2024
Of course you do not always want to travel back to a particular time or incident. Some of these can be particularly painful. There is always a loop of painful memories lurking inside my memory bank waiting to be turned on. It only needs a slight trigger to set a loop off that is hard to stop. You are filled with regret and shame until the loop runs out.
Sometimes Time Travel can be very enjoyable.
I once did a Responsible Serving of Alcohol course held in a building in Wangaratta. This building used to be the old High school and I had spent two years there. The course was conducted in the very room where I had spent many an hour. One of my teachers portrait was prominently displayed on the wall. This teacher had organised the school building to be turned into an adult education facility and the Responsible Serving of Alcohol course was held there. Because of this they had his photo displayed in a prominent position. Of course, I went into a serious bout of time travel.
I was in a room with approximately 12 others. I was in my mid 70’s. One girl was 29 years old and all the others were under 20. The course teacher started by asking if everyone would introduce themselves and talk a little about themselves. When it became time for me to talk, of course I went into describing how enjoyable it was to time travel. The room was essentially the same as it had been 50 years ago. I pointed out that this was where Mr Synan and Mr Rowe played that very piano at a Christmas breakup. This was the very room where the Head Teacher had come into a room and told Form 1 Girls to cover up as he could see too much of their bodies. He had interrupted a lunchtime play the girls had written themselves. This was the room where a boy had slightly injured another when he sliced his hand with a paper knife.
I left the best for last. I pointed out that the photo was of Mr Cave who just happened to be the father of Nick Cave. Mr Cave was very keen on Theatre and every year would hold auditions for a school play which I always tried out for. He was not above bursting into song.
I advised the group that he would have liked to be a rock star just like his son became. Then I made the mistake of asking if they knew Nick Cave. Not one person was willing to admit to this. When I was confronted with silence I said - you know Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue had the hit song Wild Rose. Again total silence. No recognition whatever.
At this embarrassing point the Teacher took over and said we should move on as we were limited with time.
I concluded that the everyone else thought I was a pretentious old person who liked telling them how good the old times were. They were not going to encourage me.
Can I recommend Hemingway's Memoir - A Moveable Feast. This was his last publication when he was still alive. In it he essentially time travels back to his 20’s when he lived in Paris. When I read the book in my middle 60’s I was also sent into a series of time travels. Hemingway devotes a number of pages to a walk that he did one cold winter day. He walked because he did not have money to pay for public transport. He was also saving money by not eating and he was hungry. But he pointed out the walk approached magic. It can be greatly enjoyable to walk for several miles along semi deserted Paris streets in the middle of winter. This sent me into time travelling back to my time in London. I had often walked long distances when I was hungry. I had once walked from Earls Court to Kensington Gardens one cold overcast Sunday afternoon. There was hardly anyone else in the street. I took in every building. I enjoyed every step. It was magical and I knew it.
I once walked the length of Regent Street on a Wednesday Night in the middle of winter. As far as I remember I was the only person in the street. There was musak playing in most shops loudspeakers. Finally I came to a live Theatre that had what was going on inside playing on the loud speakers outside. I recognised the actor's voice. I went into the foyer mainly to get out of the cold. There was no one in the foyer. I walked on further and suddenly I was in the Theatre. The Staff were nowhere. I was shocked to see that the audience also were nowhere. There would not have been more than 20 people in the audience. Yet the actor, who was indeed a famous Shakespearian actor, was saying his lines with his great voice. I didn't stay. I had seen enough.
I am often reminded of this incident and go into a bout of Time Travel. It sets off other events. But all are true and exceedingly enjoyable.
Time Travel is one of the enjoyable things about old age.
Neville Gibb
June 2024
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