Category Archives: family
Adelaide Fringe Festival Tour Diary: A Personal Lifetime Highlight
Backstage before the show.
Not much comedy in this post, but I just want to share it for what it is. Anybody who has seen “An Unexpected Variety Show” will understand why the prospect of having my daughter in the audience for the very first time was one that filled me with a plethora of emotions, from anxiety to sappiness and just about everything in between.
Despite feeling incredibly tense onstage for the first half of the show (despite my suggestions that a side seat might be a little less confronting for her strutting show-pony of a mother, she stuck to her guns and sat front row, centre stage), having my girl there was just…overwhelming.
Whenever I sing “World’s Greatest Love Song”, I sing it to her every night, but last night, I did so literally. My beautiful little girl.
I should interrupt this by saying that I do not think my show is suitable for kids in general! The only reason I let Ella come along last night is because:
a) she already knows the full story and I’d already talked through some of the challenging themes in it with her;
b) she understands that if she comes to a show with some bad language in it, of which there is a bit in mine, she has to prove that she’s mature enough to handle that without thinking it means she can go around spouting it from her own mouth; and
c) it felt right.
Anyhoo, at the end of the show, I said to the audience “This is a monumental night for me because my daughter is actually here in the audience.” As I spoke it out loud I really started to break up and the crowd clapped even louder. I looked down at her beautiful little face looking up at me, and put my arm out to see if she wanted to join me; after a moment’s hesitation she jumped up onstage and in a scene not unlike that of a finale of any number of romantic comedies, we threw our arms around each other with wondrous love from the crowd.
It was perfect.
We then went backstage and proceeded to bawl our eyes out…and laugh…and bawl some more together.
It was one of the most magical times ever.
We then ventured out for a Mummy daughter date in Adelaide, down through the Garden of Unearthly Delights…
The Garden.
…and then off into the city for a gelato and a hot chocolate.
The luscious array of choccies we DIDN'T succumb to on our quest for liquid heaven.
We rang my hubby and told him all about it in the middle of our girly night. I told him that I’ve just realised that really, whatever the heck happens from this point onwards, in the Fringe and in life, just having shared tonight with Ella is really the pinnacle.
Truly.
Adelaide Fringe Festival Tour Diary: On Touring With Kids
My little mouse spotting a poster! I love how excited she is about the show, soooo cute (though she would hate me calling her "cute" in public. So please. No further.)
Many people ask me about how I manage to do this performing/touring stuff with kids. Or rather, they just say nice things about how cool it is that I can. Well, most people.
(BTW when my darling box office commander-in-chief relayed this guy’s comments, I was honestly, mostly amused. But I can’t help but point out that in all the illustrious seven or so years of my comedy career thus far, I have NEVER heard any such question aimed at a performer who also happens to be a dad.)
The truth is, I couldn’t do any of this without having my hubby behind me 110%. I am so lucky that he does not see the world through the same lactation-coloured glasses as some (yes, lactation is now its own colour, I’ve just decided it). I truly believe that mothers can still live out crazy and amazing adventures and pursue big dreams, of course I do! But I believe it’s a heck of a lot easier – and better for everybody – when your chief partner-in-crime feels the same way. I take no credit for that at all: I just happen to have shacked up with somebody who doesn’t see gender as an issue in terms of how our family is run. I am LUCKY. I know it.
Plus, in practical terms, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have the world’s greatest au-pair onboard the team. This is my first experience ever with an au-pair (in the past I have hired somebody to come and babysit as I go perform or had live-out help come in while I’m away) but this arrangement, provided that we can find the perfect person as seems to have happened this time, is by FAR the best. I love her. I seriously don’t know how I’m going to say goodbye! Five stars!
But yes, point is, as much as I’d like to take it, the reality is that I don’t really deserve any credit for performing, touring and all the rest with kids, because the only way I can do any of this is because of a tremendous level of support from other people. Truly.
Here endeth the sermon.
On a lighter and more “dear Diary” type note, we had the most wonderful time today, catching up with some friends for a play-date in a park by the beach in a cute little part of Adelaide called Semaphore. This time just hanging out with my kidlets in another city, exploring together, socialising and making the most of our new surrounds is such a rocking perk of the touring thing. I hope we can keep it going!
Catching up with friends for a Radelaidian play-date!
Then I swept little Miss 9 into the city where she came to see her first “mummy-featured” show of the Fringe thus far, that being Theatresports: Clash of the Titans!
Improvising onstage!
My wonderful improv team: The Wynter of Our Disco Tent!
Such a lovely night.
It’s so cool too when we bump into people out in Adelaide who’ve seen my show and approach us to chat about it; Ella loves it when people tell her that they saw her onstage (if you’ve seen it you’ll know what I mean); she beams and beams. I love it that she gets to be part of seeing how it’s connecting with people too.
Oh and btw, not sure if you’ve noticed but I stopped writing my “today’s gigs” on here as I COULDN’T SUSTAIN IT. So ridiculous. Even writing them down makes me tired. Luckily I’ve gotten the majority of the “five-gigs-a-day” type days out of the way now, so back to more sane programming from hereon in. Hmmm, hang on, let me just do a quick tally:
56 gigs in total (that’s right, it’s increased).
27 gigs done thus far.
29 gigs left!
NEARLY HALFWAY, PEOPLE!
Oh gees, I kinda want to cry.
Spotted in Adelaide today.
Adelaide Fringe Festival Tour Diary:
Chandelier at the gorgeous La Boheme.
Tis going so, so well. And I am so, so tired!
Seriously, were it not for a spritely combination of the world’s best au-pair who completely “gets it” when it comes to the madness of this Fringe experience, good folks cheering me on and a rather unhealthy festival dependance on energy drinks, I would just about collapse in a heap.
Which I plan to do at some point, but only if I can schedule it in.
Above: my appearance on the online festival TV show, Festival Fishbowl!
Today was what I hope is my last insane day for a while; teaching a 2-hour improv workshop, then an improv show with Theatresports: Clash of the Titans, then a cabaret spot at La Boheme for Cabaret Live, then for a beautiful “An Unexpected Variety Show” for a smaller but lovely crowd (which included being heckled by an older lady in the front row within 20 seconds of stepping onstage!).
The shows are going so beautifully – especially after the incredibly difficult season that was the show’s debut in 2011, where it was night after night of performing for 3, 4 and 5 people – I am so incredibly happy that the crowds have been so deliciously kind to me this fringe, with two sold out shows thus far! I can assure you I am not taking any of this for granted for one second! I am so, so, so grateful and am crossing everything that it continues to go well. I can’t tell you what a relief it is to finally feel like the show is being appreciated by people; I had a lovely young woman come up to me the other night afterwards and tell me that she had started crying in the opening number – her husband is in the army and thus is away most of the time; that is part of her own ‘unexpected variety show.’ She teared up as we spoke and I gave her a big hug. As hard as this showbiz thing can be, it really is moments like this – being connected to a completely stranger, for instance – that make me feel that doing the show is so, SO worth it.
I also feel like this weekend I finally hit my stride with working onstage with Matthew Carey. Working with an accompanist is still relatively new to me; during last night’s show I made a conscious decision to just interact more with him. Aside from being a musical genius, he truly is a natural comedian (I hereby christen him “Captain Deadpan of the Ticklish Ivories”) and so to play around with him and then just let his reactions do the rest, well, it’s brought another level to the show!
Tomorrow is all about the kidlets; we’re gonna catch up with one of my best Adelaidian friends and her little clan. Then tomorrow night I’m going to bring Ella with me to the improv show I’m in (she’s ridiculously excited) and then to see my full show on Tuesday! That will be a truly monumental moment; I suspect it’s going to be a massively emotional night.
Until then…
PHOTOS!
Today's improv workshop!
The littlest.
Jamie and Charlie doing their thang hosting the Late Night Cabaret Lounge, where I've been doing guests spots almost every Thurs, Friday and Saturday!
A Shaggy Doo beat poet, yo!
Adelaide Fringe Festival Tour Diary: Top Moments Thus Far
Found in Radelaide: a very Aussie letterbox.
Top Moments Thus Far (or specifically, of the Past 24 Hours):
1. The Kindness of Strangers/Audience Members
This happened. This really happened.
2. Jen Brister’s “Now and Then.”
Jen Brister as snapped onstage last night.
Jen is completely hilarious and utterly deserving of packed houses and then some. Last night’s crowd was small but hugely appreciative of this lady’s talents. She is playing at Mansions on Pultney Street, only a couple of blocks away from the Garden. Please do go see her!!! She is all sorts of jawsome. I promise.
3. Abandoman!
Abandoman onstage in the Garden of Unearthly Delights
I first heard about Abandoman – an improvised hip-hop show – from Jason Chong at the Festival Fishbowl and knew that missing it was simply not an option. Improv. Hip-hop. One-man. YES! Oh my word. I really couldn’t wax more lyrically about this show. As you know, I am madly in love with musical improv, but the pace at which he did his thing was mind-boggling. By the end, my brain was hurting. So ridiculously good, I believe he only has 6 shows left, DO NOT MISS THIS!
4. Listening to My Gutty Gut Gut!
I was literally walking out of the Garden post-Abandoman, ready to do the sensible thing and get a good night’s sleep, but something in my gut wouldn’t let me.
“Turn back, Jenny,” said a voice, in a magical utterance not unlike something out of Labyrinth.
“No,” said sensible Jenny. “I need to look after my body!”
“Listen!” said the magical utterance. “Forget the body, you’ve neglected it this long, what’s one more night? Now, turn around and walk right back before I am forced to bring David Bowie into this.”
I obeyed.
Within minutes I was chatting to the lovely Rob Broderick (aka Abandoman) himself and several more minutes later he, Markus Birdman and I headed over to the Artists Bar. We chatted Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where, after some very lovely cheer-leadingish encouragement from Rob, some good things happened. Mysterious cape swishing. Top night. I rocked off into the evening humming “Dance, Magic Dance.”
5. Arriving Home to My First 5-Star Review.
This is a wonderfully sparkling gem, with Ms. Wynter wowing her audience…her mimicry of various singing and theatrical styles, her friendly persona and her beautifully handled touches of pathos…There is one problem: the hour long show flows so well that it seems like half an hour – let this variety show go on and on and on.”
Adelaide Theatre Guide. Full review here.
Things are going so well, the kids are settled (we had a gorgeous if not extremely wet day yesterday at the aquatic centre), hubby and my Mister 7 are doing fantastically at home…I keep waiting for something to go horribly wrong. I hope I can just chill the heck out and enjoy this crazy ride for what it is! Thank you for sharing it with me.
x
Adelaide Fringe Festival Tour Diary: Bad News and Caring Too Much
Trying my hand at "Skee Pong" on set with Jason Chong at Festival Fishbowl
As I was heading into the Light Hotel this avo to get ready for my show, I heard some news that rocked me.
A family member – a distant family member, but one whom I have extremely positive memories of from childhood – died. I was so shocked, not just by the news itself, but also by how very upset I felt about it. And selfishly, I was also more than a little worried about being cool by the time the curtain rose, so to speak.
For…upset or not, the show must go on.
I have had to perform before under circumstances where I was deeply sad but still needed to make people laugh. It was two days after my friend Chris Daniel had died and I was flown down to Sydney to perform in a filmed comedy spot. Prior to Chris’ sudden passing, I was elated thinking about this gig. But after, I was terrified I was going to get onstage and completely lose it. I didn’t. But looking at the footage of that show afterwards, I could see the sadness on my face. And it was one of the best gigs I ever did. Because…I just didn’t give a shit about it anymore.
Tonight was my first ever sold-out show; again, a gig I was completely over the moon about prior to hearing about my family’s loss. Only after? Well, it wasn’t that I didn’t care as such, but in processing the news, it certainly put everything in perspective again.
Really. This does not matter. How tonight goes, whether there are reviewers, audience members, promoters, whatever. In the grand scheme of things, it does not matter.
The people you love matter.
Please allow me my cheesy musings.
Earlier today, during an appearance on the Festival Fishbowl online show (which seriously made me want to make an online show so badly. Just add it to the to-do list, imaginary PA Beryl!) Sam Simmons made some comments about not caring about comedy that really unnerved me.
On the Festival Fishbowl set.
Jason Chong and Sam Simmons getting comfy.
When he asked me why, I told him I thought it was because I had gotten to that place of not caring (post car crash especially), but then when things started going well the caring started to creep back in…listening to him go on about it made me wonder whether I was now at a point where I was actually caring too much all over again. About the wrong things, that is.
But after this afternoon?
I think I’m all good.
Checking out some street theatre in the mall.
Adelaide Fringe Festival Tour Diary: Improv, Sheer Loveliness, the Mayor of Salisbury and the Guilt/Blisters Combo
Rockin out at the Fringe Caravan on the Mall
Today was a little nuts, in theme with the rest of the festival itinerary thus far. I’m so happy that things are calming down HUGELY as of tomorrow, as despite the fact the kids are travelling with me, these past few days have been so busy that we’ve hardly had any time together. I MISS THEM! Tomorrow is all about them, baby and I truly cannot wait. Hence, I am blogging right now before bed-time. No work tomoz! (Well, okay, one gig at Gluttony in the early evening, but I may well bring them along as my roadies.)
Today’s highlights:
- doing the Fringe Caravan stage again, where my improv song was for a woman who was a “decor consultant” and her partner, a “fitter and turner”, neither of which I still have any inkling as to what they actually entail). I have to say, I thought my brain was particularly slow on this one. The song was okay, but I think sleep deprivation plus the shocking heat of late have seriously stalled my synapses somewhat. No excuses – except for those ones I just wrote 
– but yes. Upward and onward!
- being part of the fabulous “Theatresports: Clash of the Titans!” show. The show itself was just fantastic (I’ll be doing a number more of these throughout the fringe, woohoo!). I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED my team, which is a huge relief as I literally walked straight from the Fringe Caravan into the greenroom for the improv show to meet my team-mates for the very first time. Such top guys, so much fun! Our scenes included a dentist cracking onto an abscess-riddled patient in Rockhampton, a historical journey through time set in the Bermuda Triangle concluding with me being sacrificed in a Mayan ritual, improvising a musical “fly on the wall” account of K-Rudd and Julia’s secret love affair and re-enacting the pre-wedding jitters of a highly cheery audience member. We came in second place, the winners being the incredible Sound and Furys direct from LA. These guys are hilarious and they have a fringe show at Gluttony which I’ve only heard good things about!
At some point I texted my friend Jade to beg for an afternoon stop-in at her place for a little “recovery nap”. She was not only obliging, but proceeded to pick up some solid cardboard, fix up the easel and sort out a smoother running plan for tonight’s “Unexpected” show. (Anybody who saw the gong-show that was my opening night’s final portion will appreciate why that was so very needed!)
My dear friend Jade doing what bodge-job Jenny never would: actually LEVELING the easel!
This is not the only reason I love her. She also has rad fingernails.
Fringalicious fingernails!
Then, it was off to the Light Hotel for my show!
My dressing room has pokies in it. Yes. Pokies. I'll bet even Gaga can't make that happen.
Nearly packed house, GORGEOUS audience and things ran much more smoothly tonight, so so happy!
I floated off to do a guest cabaret spot at La Boheme; I thought I’d do a backing CD of one of the songs from my show, but then the wondrous pianist (oh goodness, his name??!?!) said he was happy to play it if I could just write out the chord chart. So I hopped to, he hopped in and together we hopped onstage and made sweet musical moments. It’s a song I’ve been performing for so long, but never to a live accompanist. It brought out something so different in the piece, I felt for a moment I was performing some bizarre brand of gothic vaudeville. SO FUN.
Then I traipsed over to Radio Adelaide for an interview on Radio Notes, where I was stunned into a smiling fit of shock upon having presenter John Murch kick off our interview by hitting “play” on an interview he’d done that very afternoon with the MAYOR OF SALISBURY about the SONG I IMPROVISED FOR HER LAST NIGHT! Can you believe that?!!!
He also showed me this nugget of jawsome; I’d heard through twitter that my show had been included in this feature but had yet to actually see it:
Sunday Mail lift-out: the top 24 shows to see in 24 days at Adelaide Fringe
Stoked and flattered. Mostly stoked. No, flattered. Ummm...it's a tie.
Also got this post on my Facebook wall…
The beautiful post that made my night shinier.
And found out that my next “Unexpected” show at the Fringe is 7 seats away from SOLD OUT. Oh my.
So happy.
As much as I’m piffling on about how brilliant everything is and tra la la, let me also say for the record that on the down-side:
- I have been pining for my kids so severely. Did I already write that? Yes? Well there you go. I feel bad because I know that it’s tough on them to have me being so busy right upfront of the trip and besides that, I just WANT TO BE WITH THEM! I adore them (and the nature of being separated from your pint-sized brood makes you blind to their challenging aspects). But, as I said to Miss 9 yesterday, at least we’re getting the hard yards out of the way. The rest of the fest (with the exception of one or two days) should be much more chilled with time to actually hang out and enjoy some Adelaide kids-style!
- I have the biggest blister of my life on my little toe right now and my back hurts.
G’night! xxx
Adelaide Fringe Festival Tour Diary: “And So It Begins.”
Kids on a plane! AAAAGGGHHHH!
If you’re one of these folks with an appetite for sympathetic glances from strangers, then might I introduce you to the wonders of travelling as a solo parent with a small child? Well, I chose to interpret them as ‘sympathetic glances’ rather than ‘snarls of disapproval’; indeed, as Mister Three was throwing a mighty fit, kicking his shoes off while I struggled to wrangle a mildly ridiculous array of luggage and his pram in the sizeable taxi queue, I believe I actually uttered the words: “Well, Adelaide, this should all be smooth sailing from here!”
After getting the brood settled at our fab homely digs (bit out of the city, but it’s a damn perfect set-up for us, so so happy!) with my lovely au-pair Keli (first time I have ever enjoyed the wonders of an au-pair, she is freaking FABULOUS, so much so that I may never let her go!) I set off into the city for an interview with a student newspaper. I have no idea what I said, only that it was long-winded and a little “off on tangents” oriented, such was my mini-jet lag at having risen at 4am – martyrdom again, HELLO! – to catch that damn jet plane.
Passed by the Fringe Caravan in the Mall, where I'll be performing a number of times throughout the festival. I'm a little nervous, as I've never done street performing, but I have done my fair share of dodgy pubs, so it can't really be that much harder, can it?!
Then it was off to Titters for a truly rocking start to my Fringe ride, for a number of reasons:
- reuniting with some of my favourite people whom I met at my brief stint at last year’s Titters! Seriously love these ladies so much. Francesca Martinez, Jen Brister, Jodie Hill, Bev Killick…it was like the world’s smallest and bestest school reunion!
With new Titters friends backstage! L-R Patsy Decline, Anya Anastasia and moi.
- having the pleasure of being introduced to a local vocal quartet Hot Tutti, an incredible group of women whose stuff was SERIOUSLY amazing, with lyrics like “don’t diss my ability” and a heart-wrenching song about rising above the voices of the schoolyard taunts. I’m definitely gonna be checking out their fringe show. So good!
- making the call to abandon my “safe, known” stuff onstage and just make up a song instead. I was so happy I did this at Woodford, yet for some reason (possibly from the overwhelm of how many gigs I have lined up in this marathon month!) I had decided to go back to my old “material that I know works” thing. Then I thought, “what the heck am I doing? This is FRINGE!!!!!! I should be throwing myself on the creative coals!” and so wound up making up a song about a lovely couple called Bob, who works in the mining industry, and Fran, who is a career coach. What ensued was a small and soothing ditty with lyrics such as:
“Oh my darling Bob,
Come over here,
Even if I can’t give you love,
I can help with your career.”
“Oh my Fran,
I’ll woo you with fine dining,
And then you can chat about my career,
Which, by the way, is mining…”
Oh, the layers of meaning…
Anyway, this has also inspired me to try to remember some of the songs I make up onstage throughout this fest by way of blogging a little bit about them, namely because most of the time I just make these things up and POOF, they’re gone.
I should mention at this point that today, Opening Night of the Adelaide Fringe Festival, was, 33 years ago, an Opening Night of another kind…my appearance into this fair world.
Happy birthday to moi!
We’ve been so busy – and cash-strapped – with the preps, that we had really agreed upon a pretty low-key thing this year; the real present is just being able to come and be part of this mad roller coaster experience anyway.
But then, the night before I set off, my darling hubby and the kids said to me “Mum! Close your eyes and then come into the bathroom!” Never one to shy away from a bizarre and highly impractical command, I did so, and was greeted with this:
Gemstone lined, candlelit bath of jawsome.
Then my heart exploded.
Cut to this morning, and this ole birthday girl rolled out of bed, dreaming of cake. No really. I even facebooked about it, so it must be true.
Then I walked out into the kitchen, to cries of “Mum, Mum! Wait!” and then was greeted with this:
Birthday cake for breakfast!!!!!
I am one spoiled mother. (I mean that in more ways than one.)
All 33 years of me.
Tonight’s Adelaide Fringe Gigs!
Girls’ Night!
6pm at Gluttony
Amuse Bouche – Talk Show guest
8pm at Gluttony: SOLD OUT
Titters: An Award Winning LineUp of Funny Women
10pm at Ambassadors Hotel
Late Night Lounge with Catherine Campbell and Charlie Sanders
10pm – 12pm at Shimmering West, Higher Ground
My Week in Photos (and all Aussie Tix are Now On Sale!)
Poster spotted in Adelaide. It's a-happening!
First things first, as of yesterday morning, tickets are all OFFICIALLY ON SALE for all my upcoming Aussie gigs! Woohoo!
Adelaide Fringe tix here!
Brisbane Powerhouse tix here!
Melbourne International Comedy Festival tix here!
I’m thinking of doing a bit of a competition in each city, offering free double passes to see the show to peeps photographing themselves (or their hands, or their gnome/teddy/figurine of choice) spotted with my posters. Whaddya reckon? A little self-indulgent, yes? Yes? YES. That’s why I kinda love it. I’ve always dreamed of becoming the hunted in a real-life “Where’s Wally?”
So, in between panic attacks, this week has been crammed with littlest’s birthday celebrations…
…a friend’s hens night…
…a much overdue hair overhaul…
Can you see the blue bits? It's a little wilder when it's all out...I thought it might go well with my tutu!
…Valentine’s Day tradition-eschewing in favour of a family picnic at the park…
One of my fave ever kidly pics.
…and the requisite to-do item of “ignoring housework.”
Seriously, I completely freaked out the other night about the state of our house, when my hubby kindly pointed out that if I intend to set the bar so ridiculously high for things-that-must-be-squeezed-into-the-one-lifetime then that’s all well and good, but that perhaps I need to accept that having a house that’s always up to scratch on the tidy front is going to be a casualty. At least until we can afford to bribe my kids adequately hire professional help. Ahhhhh. My innards sigh just thinking about it.
Ah well. At least in my imagination my house is beautiful and blog-worthy all the time. And imagination is more important than knowledge. Einstein said so.
Our artsy attempt at a Family Purpose Statement
This vision you see before you is the result of a family bonding event gone this past weekend.
Let me start by being honest: things can get pretty nuts around here. I know this is true of pretty much every family household I know, so I’m certainly not pleading special circumstances, but just with the added factor of Mummy dearest to-ing and fro-ing all over the countryside for performances and such, well yes…I’m pleading special circumstances.
And with more performances coming up this year than ever before in our family’s history, I’ve recently realised more than ever how much we are in dire need of some help in:
a) making our time together really, REALLY TRULY count; and
b) getting more organised in terms of practicalities. (Oh dear HEAVENS when we can finally afford professional help with that I will consider that my moment of having “made it”. You have it in writing.)
So, I headed for the first place any approaching-overwhelm mother would in such circumstances: an all-you-can-drink buffet a helpful e-book. After seeing it plugged on another blog, I opted in for this one: One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler.
Thus far, I’ve checked off a couple of these projects, much to my delight (hello morning routine! Menu planning! IS THERE NOTHING I CANNOT CONQUER?!) and last night, the five of us gathered together to nut out one of these tasks as a family: crafting our Family Purpose Statement. A little cheesy? Sure. But those of you who know me well know how I love to embrace the dairy in life.
We each contributed ideas to the kind of family we want to be, even littlest (whose contribution of a Buzz Lightyear quote: “I come in peace!” was included on the grounds that:
a) we wanted everybody in the family to be a part of the statement; and
b) once we adapted it to “we”, it actually is rather cool indeed. WE COME IN PEACE, YO!
Then today, we set about emblazoning it in gold. Only that didn’t work out, so we opted for the next best thing: a mixed media collage.
It now has prime position in our kitchen. And I kinda love it. Now I finally have something to stare dreamily at when I find my happy place.
Note: I have already uttered the phrase today (that’s right, on DAY ZERO):
“Where does it say “hit each other!” on the family purpose statement? WHERE?!?!?!”
I am not proud.
And yet…I am.
“The Bum and I.”
This pic taken inside a funky West End cafe. If there's a connection between this image and this story, it's probably cos you made it.
I was reminded of a moment from my past today, upon reading this gorgeous post at Edenland.
I responded in the comments so thought I’d share the story with you.
I was living in Sydney and had just found out I was pregnant that week, completely out of the blue and in far from ideal circumstances. Broke. Single. Jobless. It had been a rollercoaster ride of a few days, calling my sister, my friends, my ex-fiance, counsellors, asking for advice, mulling it over, drowning in hormonal angst…then that Saturday, I did something that took me completely by surprise: I made the decision to have the baby.
I was walking down the street with my friend when this homeless guy sitting there asked for some spare change. I said “sorry mate,” but then stopped and went back to him. “I don’t have any money, but…do you smoke?”
“Yeah!” he said.
“Here.” I handed him my near-full packet of tobacco, rolling papers, filters and a lighter as he thanked me.
My friend piped in: “She’s just found out she’s pregnant.”
“Aw!” he said, smiling up at me. “CONGRATULATIONS!”
He was the first person to actually respond to the news in any positive manner whatsoever.
And I’ll never forget it.
