Random Memory Triggers: The Radio and my Dad
This is my Dad:
And this radio is similar to the one he had for at least 40 years (he might still have it somewhere at home in the garage).
This episode starts with a recent conversation around the dinner table triggered this Random Memory from my childhood that continued on uncorrected until my twenties.
It was just a regular family dinner in our household with my two daughters (Miss C, 8 and Miss F, 5), my mother-in law, father-in law, my husband and myself. The topic of discussion was something to do with gardening. While everyone was chatting I remembered a pleasant memory from my past about my Dad, his radio and our backyard.
So, to set the scene: late 80’s on a sunny day in Spring/Summer. My father was kneeling on the grass with a gardening fork wearing his favourite outfit. This outfit is what many friends and relatives know my Dad for, he is wearing:
*K26 blue sneakers
*Old rugby union t-shirt from his football days.
*Stubbies shorts like the ones below on Paul Hogan but in very faded black.
and a pair of old fluffy rugby union socks.
Dad is kneeling on the grass with his fork picking out the bindii from the yard. All over our yard every year he will remove them so my sister and I wouldn’t hurt ourselves.
They grew flat and blended in and too late to spot when you’re in the yard mucking about.
Okay, scene almost set, I have to add me yet. Myself around 11 standing next to my Dad watching him work, talking to him. Important to note: I am deaf, well hearing impaired which means I wear hearing aids and have trouble understanding speech.
On this particular day Dad was bindii picking the grass and asks me for his ‘Whadyacort’. This is how I pictured it spelled, it is something my mind does when I hear a strange word. When Dad said this word I knew exactly what item he wanted, his radio. Off to the top of the fridge I went and picked it up from it’s spot and brought it out to him. He has also called it his ‘Wylss’, again it is how I pictured the word because it was new to me. This went on for years and never thought it was odd until..
One day in my early to mid 20’s I realised at a really random moment walking down a street the whole moment with the strange words and the weird spelling finally clicked. What my ears and mind heard as ‘Whadyacort’ was actually ‘What do ya call it’ (Whatdyacallit) and ‘Wylss’ was ‘Wireless’, because the radio he loves so much ran on batteries.
