Saturday 9 February 2008

98

G'Day,
The title 98 refers to an age. There are 3 people at work in our long term wards that are this age. I thought I would talk about one of them , the eldest one. He is a tiny little bloke with character. Mr E.
He is a real talker and spins great yarns, true ones. He has all his marbles which is an achievement for someone of his age, something to be proud of.
Mr E. has lived most of his life in Junee and the surrounding district. He worked in the rural industry, as a farmer, stockman, and a cane cutter in Qld which he can spin a yarn about too. Reminds me of a character out of the play "The Summer of the 17th Doll".
He also says he knows where you can find gold in the hills around Gundagi from old mining sites that were worked and abandoned years ago. There was lots of it around the district in the old days. A local legend tells of a farmer known in the district, who when he runs short of money, finds another nugget to keep himself going, but won't say from where or how it came.
We had his wife in hospital for a while before she died and he would visit her nearly every day.
He loves to read the newspapers, yes he can still see well enough to do that, and follows the football, tennis and cricket and loves a bet on the horsies too.
Mr E. told me a story about one of his favourite christmas times which I thought was lovely. He was a young man in the 30's and went droving a big mob of sheep up in the mountains behind Talbingo. There were no roads up there then and it was, and still is, steep wild mountain country. He told me about his dogs and workmates accompaning him and how he remembers how hot and dry it was that day. He even remembers the number of sheep, I can't though. Then he packed up to camp for the night the cook got them all a bottle of beer which was cold and they drank it together around the fire. A special christmas treat. They used to put the bottles in the creek to cool them and he said no beer ever tasted better. If you know that area the water can be freezing. Free refrigeration. Fridge space. They got home the next day to Mum and family. I can't remeber where he said.
We have had some great people in our hospital at times. Many were able to tell their stories as part of our recent australian history. I love hearing them and regret that their stories fade away with them.
It is really great that he knows and remembers everyone and how their inter-relationships mesh together around the town. His second cousin is in our hospital and is just a few months younger than he is. They grew up and went to school together and he goes to visit her in her room and they talk for ages and hold hands. So cute.
I was talking to him today and saying we haven't had a patient reach 100 years old in our hospital in all the years I have been there, and a long time before that. It is his birthday in June. I hope he makes the 100 mark in a couple of years.
Another man who we had living in the hospital for a year or so was the son of pioneering people who had a guest house in the mountains at Yarrangobilly caves. The guest house has recently been renovated and has reopened after many years of disrepair and use as national park offices. It was the social center for the area in the old days as the area was sparsely populated and isolated. He met and married his wife on Kiandra goldfields where she grew up. Kiandra goldfields is no more than an archaeological site nowdays, and a base for national parks and wildlife roadworks. But is still considered as the highest town in Australia.
He used to talk about his grandfather walking across the desert pushing a wheel barrow containing all his worldly goods to go prospecting for gold in Western Australia. Amazing. Dear old man.
Aren't old people great. I wonder if my mind will be in order at that age to tell my stories. Probably not, knowing how I forget things now.

6 comments:

Miss Robyn said...

I love, love talking to old people like this and it is so sad when they pass away and the history goes with them... LindaMay.. jot it all down, every last bit of it... I worry about the future - look at the youth of today(now I sound like my mother), they certainly don't have the backbone these people did.. they haven't had the hardships that these people endured to make them who they are... (see told you I was a bitter old woman)- I can just imagine future generations, sitting around at age 89 telling of the hardships of not having an Ipod or the latest mobile phone or gucci handbag! ha!

Miss Robyn said...

oh & the guest house - is that near Junee? I would love to stay there next time we visit later this year.. my friend lives in Junee, she is a train driver!

Merle said...

G'day Linda May ~~ Great post and you write well. I hope you are writing alll these stories down and maybe you can write a book on "Some oldies I have known." Then there stories won't die with them. Glad you enjoyed my jokes ~ I love the Qantas one,I suggest you learn a few short jokes and you will be able to remember them.First one I learned to tell was about the 11 ppl hanging on a helicopter rescue rope that was only meant for 10 ppl. There were 10 men and 1 woman.Finally the woman said OK I'll let go, I'm used to making sacrifices.
AND all the men clapped. Take care,
Love, Merle. The oldies would enjoy a few jokes, I'm sure.

Everydaythings said...

Linda I really enjoyed reading about amazing people like this guy...one things for sure..they dont make em like they used to and they didnt whinge when things got tough! Its good to write all these things down as they are part of our history.

Bimbimbie said...

Hi Linda May ... you are one of the two who has a Matilda Sprite coming your way ... please let me know how she can find her way to your door *!*


... I've just noticed Blogger didn't file my comment from the other morning about this post ... I was agreeing with your post Oldies have the most wonderful stories of their younger days *!*

Bimbimbie said...

hi again linda may ... just read your comment you left - written down your address but just letting you know I've deleted your comment because your address was there for the whole world to see ;) glad you are chuffed about the sprite *!*

...and yes I went over to say hello to Merle after seeing her here .. I've seen her over at another blog I visit and thought it was time to say hi *!*