"these childhood memories"

On my way to work everyday I walk past this dry dock which is home to the Frigate Unicorn ship in Dundee. Every day the water is different in it - choppy, gentle currents and even sometimes, if you are really lucky, complete calm, like today. It was so still this morning that I had to stop and take a picture and as I did so a water hen flew in, creating perfect ripples across the surface as it dipped underneath the water several times looking for its early morning snack.

Everyone has that one thing that they are drawn to throughout their life, no matter where they find themselves. For me it's water. I grew up in Fermanagh in N.Ireland - the county with the lakes - Lough Erne, so I've always been surrounded by water and find it very calming. When I spent a month in America in 2006, I was based in Ohio, a land locked state, so when we went on a weekend trip to Washington, it was lovely to walk by the harbour in Annapolis and I felt more settled in that one night beside the water then I did in all the 4 homesick weeks spent over in the U, S of A.

Moving to Dundee for university I subconsciously kept my need for water close beside me thanks to the Tay river and both Broughty Ferry and St.Andrews beaches close by if needed! The most amazing location with water I've found here so far is Abertay Sands at the end of Tentsmuir Forest. It's the seal sanctuary beach that looks over to Broughty Ferry castle. The day I found it there was not another person there and the white sand was untouched - at this one place I felt at home here for the first time ever since arriving here 4 years previously! And now, with working here, water still surrounds me as I work in a building at the riverside and the office windows have a view of the river - bliss!

So if anyone wants to try and impress me - a water aspect may be key to the woo-ing! :)

All this talk about water and how important it both is and was to me when I was growing up has reminded me of a blog that my friend Elle shared a link to a few days ago and for today's entry the author gets us to ponder our childhood now that we are all grown up and living in the adult world. Each of our childhoods will be unique and special to us for personal reasons and for the lessons we learnt from them along the way but in the blog he tries to make us realise that we shouldn't lose the memories of our childhood and all that was precious about them - running round the garden after granda mowing the grass, picking vegetables, stealing all the strawberries, paddling in the river and getting a tadpole stuck to my foot (water again!), hopscotch in the school playground, dad being chased by a bird of prey in Jersey, my amazing swing and having to always take part in the school play even though I can't act, to name just a few! This is what he said....

"Whenever anybody looks back at their childhood there are a few things that tend to form your cultural backbone. The books, films, music and experiences that were important - the things that helped form who you are and the specific tastes you have. As you grow up, it is these things, these important and special things that you become protective over - things that you don't want to see people neglect or not understand the way that you do."

Thought provoking isn't it....?!

Update on my sick friend who stood me up last night :) - they didn't die as they had initially thought! When the jokes start flying again, it's a sign they are feeling better! Hopefully we can catch up at the weekend instead.

# Childhood Memories - Iris DeMent #