Sunday, January 28, 2007

That was then, that was that, that is gone, that is what I wanted you to feel.

Today is my last day in Whitby. Official move is next... next week sometime, to be honest I am completely disorientated about such things and am merely doing what I'm told.

I am fine, somewhat tearful. No reason; we have nothing to lose. I think there are only a handful of things in life anyone can claim that they have actually lost. We have both had a great time in this place and nothing can ever take that away from us. Only it moves into the past tense and can only be revisited in the imagination. We never get to revisit the great times in any case; even if their locations have been frozen in time, we have not. And that's not a bad thing. There are other great times, new adventures to be had ahead of us, new places which will become special to us further along the road. There are friends out there who we don't even know yet, perhaps a few who are not yet born, let alone all those who exist who we are only going to get to know and love better with time.

Nobody has died; nothing to mourn.

But saying goodbye, even to a place, even when you know that it's time to go...

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I get tearful about leaving places that I've only lived in for a couple of years, so I can't imagine what it's like after longer in one location.

Good luck with everything. You completely deserve it.

And I, for one, look forward to you being a little further down south. :)

Anonymous said...

Lady Bracknell's thoughts are with her dear friend, the Goldfish, at this bittersweet time.

It is her fondest hope that all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

Anonymous said...

So many don't understand the difficulty in leaving *places*

Anonymous said...

Leaving a place can be a very tearful experience. But the good thing about human memories is that over the years good memories stay and a realistic view about that place is becomming more and more blurry. Whitby in your memories therefore will remain a very nice place and it isn't erased from the map, because you are moving away. There is always a chance of going back for visits.
Good luck with everything. I can't wait to read posts about your new home

Anonymous said...

Of course you are sad, you are closing one chapter in your life, turning the page and stepping into a new one.

Fear not, just go with the flow. We cannot really preserve anything in this fleeting life, except it be in our hearts.

Whitby will be with you in that sense for ever.

Anonymous said...

Phew! Amazing how much can happen when one is out of circulation for a few days. I’ve just caught up on the last 4 posts. So, in ascending order from earliest to most recent:-

Congratulations;

Anticipation;

Buggeration;

Commiserations!

There, I think that about covers it.

Hope the next few days and weeks contain as much excitation as you are up to coping with.

Felicitations,

Dude x

Anonymous said...

hi goldfish! thanks for the link in your blogroll! right back atcha goldie!

The Goldfish said...

Am now safely in Suffolk.

Apologies for inadvertantly rendering some of my commenters anonymous - have just converted to New Blogger... perhaps not the best timing.

Diddums said...

The end of an era - goodbye to a home you can never visit again as your home. I remember leaving my parents' home for another town when I was starting my first job. Someone I knew decided to drop in and 'stay over' without announcement, warning or invitation. It was me he came to see, but I was definitely out of sorts, and when I thought about it, I understood it was because it was my last full day in that house as *my home*. I didn't want to be distracted by someone I didn't even feel I knew that well.

Disability Blogger said...

Goldfish,

As a former reader of books and writer of bad poetry, I would like to say I found this post somewhat remarkable. It read like poetic prose. It reminded me of some of the writings of Stephen R. Donaldson and also reminded me of a Tolkien poem:

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began
Now far ahead the road has gone
And I must follow if I can
Pursuing it with eager feet
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet
And whither then I cannot say.

I'd like to quote the Donaldson lines that come to mind but that would be ridiculously long.

Would you mind if I quoted you?

The Goldfish said...

Disability Blogger - thank you and quote away. :-)