Smudger Snippets
Created | Updated Nov 12, 2003
I suppose it's because I have so much time on my hands these days, that all these memories come flooding back to me.
Home Town
It is always the case when you first leave your so-called home town that you will, at some point, long to return to it. The first thing you do is compare where you are at present to your home town. Once you have been away for a considerable time, and travelled to totally different cultures, you start to forget what your home town looks like, or indeed the people you used to know. They used to be your friends but, for now, survival is your friend. Just to get through one day at a time is your only goal. There will come a time when you even forget what you thought you were missing, or it would seem futile to remember it. If you are on your own at this point, and have no one around who can speak your language, you start to doubt your own sanity.
It will be around this point when you start writing or talking to yourself. This is good, so don't worry - it proves that you have still got something to hang on to. Time will start to move again, you will be grateful for what you have, and won't even be concerned about things you can't change. There is now hope! Your moral is building up and you're alive and kicking. Nothing is going to bring you down now for, in a few weeks, you will be flying home, back to your home town!
When you eventually arrive there, after all that you have gone through, it will be a disappointment. The people you thought you missed have just got on with their everyday lives and probably never noticed that you were away. They have neither seen nor been to the place from which you have just returned, and that is why you can not relate to them any more. Besides - they wouldn't understand!
Occupational Hazards
If you are one of the many people who find themselves working 'away from home' you should be aware of all the pitfalls and advantages that come with this style of life. Many people took Mr Tebbits' advice and 'got on their bikes' to look for work. A few, like myself, drifted into it as there was no choice at the time.
After spending many years learning a skill or craft, you suddenly find that all the places where you could find a job, are closed or moved away. In this case you have no choice in the matter, but to follow. At first you will feel strange and maybe even home sick, depending on your past. For me it was natural as I had already been away out of the country with the Navy. For some it is more difficult to adjust; you will see them sat on their beds at the digs, staring at a photo of a loved one. This has to be stopped, as he will never make it; he needs to adjust. Along the way you hear terrifying stories of bad divorces, but you don't listen.
However, the time will come when you wish you had. For you are about to lose half of everything you worked hard for. That time comes later - when you have more time to reflect on all the missed kids parties, and shows. Hey! Don't worry, you can still see them every second weekend.
