Our family always tried to achieve middle-class respectability, and never quite got there. The kids at my school had made up their minds. I was the Trax boy; the school kid who wore the cheapest sneakers. Most of the kids’ families had farms with parents who wore flannelettes – not the untucked Western Suburbs style which smelt of bourbon but the settled, crisp, happily country garb which reeked of ‘contented money’.
These rich come-ins lived on cheap land (well, modest for them) with newly built double-storey houses; driveways manicured by shiny white pebbles – not the sharp suburban asphalt ones which tore your legs to shreds.
When my family’s debt mounted and loan repayments became exorbitant we would sell up and buy a cheaper house further away from Sydney. You could count on the housing market to skyrocket after we moved away. We missed the housing booms every time.
My father had to travel at least four hours in any one day to and from work because we couldn’t afford anything closer to Sydney. Even when he parked his car in the city, he had to walk forty minutes to work. How he did this for twenty-five years straight is beyond me. Now aint dat a man? And here I am today, I couldn’t be bothered driving five minutes down the road to get a missing screw for my mower.
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
Yes, my father did something similar although not as drastic and for not as long. That is a sad tale (especially the bit about missing a screw on your lawnmower).
Yeh my dad did the works. Regarding the mower, well its not so sad, someone gave me a screw and it bore children.
At the cutting edge
Uhuh. Nothing but the best.
My dad watches over me. Especially when I’m working on the house. Always ready to find point out any little short-comings in my work. It’s good to have him around. The track is my favourite part of a favourite film.
Nice thoughts about your ol’ man. Yes, it is a favourite film of mine too! Thanks for popping by Simon.
Wow, that’s dedication. What did your dad do for work?
If I remember rightly he worked in the housing commission. I couldn’t tell you exactly what that entailed, but he drove a lot!
Sleeper is my favorite Woody Allen film, by the way!
Yeh, it blew me away how good it was. It’s probably the most enjoyable Woody Allen film I’ve seen. I get a real kick out of Blue Jasmine as well, but that comes from a much darker place. But I’m still unfamiliar with much of early Woody.
Have you seen Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters, or Manhattan? All fantastic!
Yes I have! I have written reviews about two of those movies here. They’re fabulous.
Awesome!