IOU

I owe you guys a weeks worth of frock tales. I've been writing on my phone & all over bits of paper & of course taking the pics everyday but just been hella busy & unable to get time to upload it all. I figure I should probably keep them in order of appearances so here is Monday's story.

In the past two days I have learnt the true meaning of gratitude.

As part of my job my colleague and I went to a rest home to give a talk about our work. When I arrived I was struck by the calmness and quiet. It was a nice place, lots of natural light and a hair salon and a pool and a cafeteria and an atrium. There were 5 old women sitting in the front row when we arrived 20 minutes early. The two on the end were holding hands.
I suddenly thought of a song Louis baker had played when we saw him a week ago. He spoke about the care or lack of care given to the older people of our community. I wondered if we provide them with the stimulation they need, they deserve.
I decided then to give them every piece of energy I had. I must admit, I had put them in a box, the same box that my grandma lives in, one of racism, for lack of further explanation. During the talk I mentioned that I wore a kirituhi by Derek Lardelli and that I could hear my grandmother saying that "I should leave my cardigan on so not to show you all my tattoo". At the end of the talk I was accosted by a woman who wanted to see my kirituhi. She literally ripped my cardy off my shoulder and her and another woman told me that it was beautiful. I then spoke to a woman called Prue, I told her I liked he t.shirt from Te Papa (it has a colossal squid on it) and she told me that she suffered from confusion and forgetting and she said thank you for telling me where she got her t.shirt from. She also told me that her husband had been in WWII and that she was going to read his diary and let me know if there was anything of note in it. I hope she doesn't forget.

Me and Prue

That afternoon I ran to the train station to catch my friend before he left and to meet his brand new daughter. He arrived rushing and handed my the baby and ran off. It was the most amazing experience to meet this beautiful baby girl, just us, alone yet not, as the busy rush hour train traffic rushed around us. Her dad and mum arrived and just like that she was gone, still sleep, unaware of the scar she'd left on my heart.

Now, I'm sitting in youth court. Waiting for my young person to go up. It's a funny place. For some it is a meeting spot, a place to catch up. It doesn't feel like they feel much shame; but then that's just what it looks like from the outside. Lawyers in suits blend with kids in baggy jeans with bandanas hanging from them. It's a fucked up place for so many reasons.

I am grateful for so many things. Today I am grateful for the experiences I have had & the people I share my world with.

Check out the picture in the background, that's me & my super cool brother.

I got this dress from Glassons, it was $20 and I have one in navy and one in teal. I wear it to serious things like court, talks at Rest homes, to church once a year when my Dad comes up with the Army and to the National War Memorial where I sometimes work.

Me, my Grandad & Nev the Rev - Bomber Command Service.

Me and my Papa - Armistice Day church service

My baby sister took these pictures when I was quickly tying my hair back for today's photo. It's a super cute wee series so I thought I should add them.