Lived Experience Forum

[Appleblossom]

Happiness is as fleeting as the shimmer of light from the toss of a coin.

Thank you for thinking of me @Dimity 

Monkey Grip was not mentioned in Garner's list of published works.  Its interesting to witness how people become literary icons.

Beautiful sensitive @Sophia1 

Good to see you

I am pretty sensitive too, though sometimes wear an easy going or capable front, its not even a dress or cloak its a flimsy front.

I have a counsellor today and going out tonight with a girlfriend.  I did not really have that as a child so its nice to go somewhere new and have others to talk about it with.  Major problem in my life that there was nobody to talk about anything with. Not at school or at home.  Just had to keep swimming.  Somehow i have survived. I guess that is why I am so flush with words these days, though am often at a loss in face to face situations.

[Owlunar]

@Appleblossom 

Hi Apple - I read what you wrote on someone else's thread about suicide - it was such a gentle and thought-provoking message - I had to post away from that person's pain to an old friend personally.

I am really glad to be back - there was a bit of a rocky start but that seems okay now. I had to withdraw when my uncle died - the loss was profound - someone I had known my whole life and who had been through things with me - regardless of what it was.

And he and my aunt were public figures and well known - they treated me like the daughter they never had - with more friendship as I was fairly close to them in age - and I had the wonderful privilege of seeing their humanity - I miss both of them.

They were the parents of the cousin who completed suicide - I don't think they ever recovered. Whatever happens after death they are at peace now - this I believe.

You had a lot of flack from your mother - I did too but differently - and I know I had a supportive family apart from her. I remember a post about your mother just before I suddenly took time out - totally totalled by grief - couldn't read the forum and couldn't post - I'm sorry about that.

Whatever the circumstances of our lives we have both survived - there are a lot of survivors in this forum. I am proud to know you and sorry - so sad - you lost your son to suicide too - that can hurt right down to your soul - I have accepted my son's death - he had so many issues - the expression about someone being in a better place can grate - HOW can anyone know? In my case - whatever there is in the pearly gates and the angelic harp playing in a bejeweled background - wow - wonderful mythology - reality - my son is at peace and that's what sustains me.

Your mother really was a number - I can't remember - is she still alive? - if she is do you have any relationship with her? Mine died 8 years ago - since then I have found memories I had repressed - I have had a couple of phone calls with The Blue Knot Foundation - very helpful - I can forgive my mother and still be angry. I can understand her reasons but never allow her to have excuses for her behaviour.

How are you going with all of that? We aren't so young anymore - I saw my mother dying full of regrets and that is a terrible way to go - I have pretty great memories to reflect on - when I separated and then divorced, I had a second adolescence and enjoyed myself thoroughly - I had a great time and now that I stay at home most of the time because of my bad shoulder I rejoice in my memories - I hope you have some too.

All the best my dear friend and oh yes - before I go - I have just read one of the strangest books I have ever read - Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. I'm glad I saw the movie a couple of times before I read the book. Wow - what was the author smoking while she was writing? The stories were all over the place. Now maybe I'm being critical - still I have a degree in English Lit and a minor in General and Comparative Literature - I have already be through the layers of literature - enough said.

I hope you have a good sleep and it is so good to be back and catching up with old friends

Owlunar

[Sophia1]

a quick interruption here

Fried Green Tomatoes I first saw decades ago and have rewatched time and time again.

Very few films do I watch more than once.

Watched One flew over the Cuckoos Nest again the other night.

Several more that I cannot recall at the moment.

I prefer British, Australian or Foreign films to american so that is another reason why I am surprised.

@Owlunar @Appleblossom 

[Owlunar]

Hi @Sophia1 

I love the movie Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe and decided to read the book to find out more of what was just hinted at in the movie.

I often enjoy books and movies on the same subject - I am not bothered at all by the differences. This time I REALLY wanted to find out what happened to Frank Bennet - Ruth's husband - and so I kept on reading this novel that jumped from story to story and back and forth in time and truly - I would have given up - so I read it too the end of what happened to Frank Bennet was in the movie. So yes - my opinion - the movie is great and someone took a lot of effort to find the great story in the novel

So I mentioned this to my support worker and she loved the movie too and although she doesn't read much she was happy to take my copy of the novel home - I gave it to her so I am not worried that she will probably take a long time to read it.

After all - other people might like novels like that. It's just personal taste

I read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. That was a rather horrifying story - the movie was okay - I remember the novel better - then there was The Time Traveller's Wife - great movie - the novel jumped back and forth through time too with the main characters meeting each other in different times at different ages - I never read that again but I always watch the movie.

There have been books I liked better than the movies - I can't think of one right now - but then I always have a wry thought about Russian novelists. Not my favourite genre. When I was doing my HSC as a mature age student I read and battled and re-read Crime and Punishment - I can't remember much about it now - I did write about it in the exam - we all went to the movie that was in Russian with English sub-titles and afterwards I still say I wish I had read the movie before I saw the book.

It's all taste - experience - after all - it's really great we all like different things

Thanks for your thoughts - that's really good

Owlunar

[Alix_Claire]

sending you emoji hugs through the ether 🤗

[Appleblossom]

Ooooh ... legal people might still want to help ... there is still so much to do to imporve a LOT of different systems ...

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-24/out-of-home-care-leavers-support-age-21-centrelink/102002736 

[Dimity]

Indeed. And intersectionality would compound the problems for so many kids.

[Appleblossom]

Hmmm I know which one is me.

[Dimity]

Only one @Appleblossom ? Maybe you're doing better than you think. But good luck in surmounting it. I have work to do too.

[Appleblossom]

ha ha @Dimity Yes there is a little of all 4 in me, just one I leaned towards more than others.