Storytelling came naturally to my Dad – and he lived a life that lent itself to telling stories. Endless tales of adventure, some of them sad, many of them funny, always entertaining.
He was born in Scotland in 1921, when people were still using candlelight and the horse and cart. He grew up through the great depression and served as a fitter armourer in the Royal Air Force during World War II, posted to India and Burma.
Dad was father to seven children from two lengthy marriages spread across more than six decades and two countries – Scotland and Australia.
He raced motorbikes, played in a pipe band, competed in rodeo, became a farmer, and so much more.
He was a lifetime student of the world, its people and religions, as part of his own search for identity and belonging.
Dad didn’t mind the idea of collecting his stories in a book, but when it came to the process, he couldn’t pick and choose which memories to access. He stopped because he found it brought up too many painful memories.
After he died in April 2010, the pain was mine and I found it too difficult to contemplate writing about him.
However by 2013, the time felt right and I started to get Dad’s stories down on paper, as recalled by me and by my Mum and siblings.
Since then it’s become clear to me that rather than simply a collection of Dad’s stories, the book needs to be his story.
It’s an incredible story and one with themes of real relevance in today’s world.
As the story comes together through research and writing, I will continue to blog about Dad’s story, the challenges I encounter along the way and the things I learn.
You can be part of that journey by following pinchmyself or through visiting the ‘Dad’s story’ sub-link above. I look forward to a conversation with you about your ideas, experiences or questions on any of the topics explored.
M
pinchmyself.org 