For Richer And For Poorer
Without Prejudice
" Money is very nice, " some one said to me once.
And it is, it is.
But for me, it has to be mine.
I have been on both sides of the fence with money. I've been rich and I've been poor. As a kid I didn't know what poor was until a great big girl, an only child, asked me one day if I only had one dress. I was at the time a student at Southport State School and ironically head girl. I had won exam after exam, even beaten the boys. This girl was not such a little swot as I was and her remark embarrassed the hell out of me.
My parents at that time had 6 kids. And I went home that day, humbled, as I really did only have one dress. Mum bought me new ones after that on tick of course at the local Department store. You could take things home in those days as long as it was on your parents store card. I had a feeling they wouldn't be paying the account anyway, so I tried on a pair of bathers as well and took them home. I remember them as if it was yesterday. Black and red check with a tiny built in bra and I was 11. All of a sudden I had a womanly figure.
That day was the first time I knew we were poverty struck and parish damned, as my Mum called it. But we lived on Marine Parade Labrador, right on the water in an old Quenslander and Dad was a part time muso and a full time operator of a music store in Surfers Paradise, in the old Lido Arcade. I never lived in a better place as a child. Surfers in the sixties was an awesome, dynamic place to live.
There were meter maids and one high rise building. The music scene was legendary, a photographer took your photo in the Main Street and the foreshore. We met the Brothers Gibb, Barry was about 16 then and the twins were just kids, but talented, oh my word. I had my hair cut in a Cilla Black shiny long bob with a fringe and can remember as it was getting cut wondering how Mum was going to afford it.
Jackie , my older Sister, had left school at 14 after kicking a Teacher in the shin and worked as a housemaid for one of the richest women in the Gold Coast. She also helped out in the music shop as did Mum. We still had no money though, by the time they paid rent and overheads there was hardly any money left. So clothes for us kids was not a big priority at the time. I now have a wardrobe full of them and keep them all. Gaining warmth and comfort in the just having them and loads of shoes, as well.
To be continued..........
" Money is very nice, " some one said to me once.
And it is, it is.
But for me, it has to be mine.
I have been on both sides of the fence with money. I've been rich and I've been poor. As a kid I didn't know what poor was until a great big girl, an only child, asked me one day if I only had one dress. I was at the time a student at Southport State School and ironically head girl. I had won exam after exam, even beaten the boys. This girl was not such a little swot as I was and her remark embarrassed the hell out of me.
My parents at that time had 6 kids. And I went home that day, humbled, as I really did only have one dress. Mum bought me new ones after that on tick of course at the local Department store. You could take things home in those days as long as it was on your parents store card. I had a feeling they wouldn't be paying the account anyway, so I tried on a pair of bathers as well and took them home. I remember them as if it was yesterday. Black and red check with a tiny built in bra and I was 11. All of a sudden I had a womanly figure.
That day was the first time I knew we were poverty struck and parish damned, as my Mum called it. But we lived on Marine Parade Labrador, right on the water in an old Quenslander and Dad was a part time muso and a full time operator of a music store in Surfers Paradise, in the old Lido Arcade. I never lived in a better place as a child. Surfers in the sixties was an awesome, dynamic place to live.
There were meter maids and one high rise building. The music scene was legendary, a photographer took your photo in the Main Street and the foreshore. We met the Brothers Gibb, Barry was about 16 then and the twins were just kids, but talented, oh my word. I had my hair cut in a Cilla Black shiny long bob with a fringe and can remember as it was getting cut wondering how Mum was going to afford it.
Jackie , my older Sister, had left school at 14 after kicking a Teacher in the shin and worked as a housemaid for one of the richest women in the Gold Coast. She also helped out in the music shop as did Mum. We still had no money though, by the time they paid rent and overheads there was hardly any money left. So clothes for us kids was not a big priority at the time. I now have a wardrobe full of them and keep them all. Gaining warmth and comfort in the just having them and loads of shoes, as well.
To be continued..........
