Friday, April 21, 2006

Childhood Memories

My brother is due to arrive today. Did I mention that I’m hanging out with my parents in Edinburgh and that my brother will be joining us? He and I have left our spouses at home for this trip, so it will be just the four of us together in Edinburgh for the first time since 1976.

I remember that year being a very important one in my relationship with my brother. Throughout our childhoods we mostly ignored one another. There was no overt hostility but he’s two years older and we had different friends and different interests. (The overt hostility came later in our teens and twenties when our politics, our musical tastes, and our fashion senses radically diverged.) But that year in Edinburgh, at least in the summer before we started school, all we had was each other. We were good friends—at least that’s how I remember it.

One of the bits of writing that I’m working on while I’m here is a story for children partly based on that year. I’m looking forward to having my brother here to check my recollections against his and to provoke new ones. Hopefully I'll end up with a welter of conflicting detail to draw from.

3 comments:

j-love said...

That is a great photo! I love it. I'm glad to hear you're having such a great trip.

Anonymous said...

Scotland the brave! Good for you in gettimng back. My wife and I went years ago with my 3 yr old son at the time. I can't wait to get back.

Samantha said...

Hi, Kate. That sounds wonderful - to be with your family again on a vacation. Loved the pic! Aren't those wonderful memories? The best! You and I have some things in common. I also write and hope to publish something regarding my childhood memories. Unfortunately, my brother passed away last year as a result of a motorcycle accident. He was 33. Enjoy all the time you have now with him. You just never know.