I share a lot of stories from my life here – obviously they are carefully curated and there are many things I won’t share, and don’t share with anyone. I hasten to add my “secrets” are very trivial and of no consequence, but sometimes involve others where I couldn’t mange to conceal their identities. However, many things which have happened to me would really be of no interest to anyone else, for example, diaries which I’ve unsuccessfully started, which are mostly very mundane. A really big thing which happened in my life was when we went to Tasmania, which was literally a once in a lifetime/dream of a lifetime experience.
My great grandfather, Louis was born in Tasmania and I’ve always been fascinated by him and his life because his wife was Lois, from whom I get my name. In fact, she wasn’t legally his wife as they never married – and we can only speculate why they didn’t, but guess it was because he was Jewish and she wasn’t, and he came from a very wealthy family, and she came from a very ordinary family, very lowly. So nine years ago, off we went to Tasmania and had the most wonderful, unforgettable stay there. If I went on such a trip now, I would write my experiences day by day here – but for various reasons I didn’t then, but I did keep a sort of diary/journal.
I knew I’d done that,, but it somehow got put away, and I’ve only come across it from time to time, and never thought to do much with it – except to think I ought to. The big problem is my illegible handwriting – to transcribe it would be such a chore. I found it the other day in one of my efforts to tidy up (you really wouldn’t think I’d made any progress if you saw the state of my table here where I’m writing) and opened it for the first time in years.
Within a few pages I realised I’d forgotten so much of our Tasmanian adventure which had been so improtant to me and with a big sigh determined that, yes, yes I would! Yes I would bite the bullet and write it out. Suddenly like a flash of lightening or a bolt of thunder or a blaze of inspiration, I remembered that most computers have a speech to text function!!!!! Bingo!!!
Happy days! It may be painstaking, but it’s far less so, and more successful than writing it by hand! If it comes to anything, I may well, with a few additions, self-publish it, but whatever I do, I’ll share some of the more cogent adventures here!
Lois Elsden 