Shouts From Down Under

Where were you when...? RIP Colleen McCullough

Memorable Events.

There are times in life when later you remember exactly where you were, and what you were doing, when those events occur.

Early birthdays.

First fight at school.

First guitar you played

Moon Landing (for us older ones - 1969 so I was only 2, but I've heard enough to know it was memorable)

When you were dumped

Family row

Car accident when [Insert close relative / loved one] was killed.

Elvis

John Lennon

Chernobyl

Slim Dusty

Bandar Aceh

9/11

And now.

Colleen McCullough

When I read The Thorn Birds we still lived on the farm, but my siblings and cousins had all left home. I didn't have to fight for the book to finish it. And I can recall being far too young to be reading such a book, and the parts of it I did understand gave me a vastly different view of life.

The rest of it I found boring. As I said, I was too young and that bored view is not an accurate criticism of the book. I read a lot of books when I was young; when I was too young. Perhaps I wasn't ready for the boring bits. Perhaps it was just natures way of protecting a young person- the limited understanding.

But I remember reading it and being impressed by the story telling. Oh yes, I remember that very well. And that's why the library shelf where her books sit is still groaning under the weight of her thick numerous bestsellers taking up an entire section. They weren't hard to find for a quick pic for this blog.



What else can you say about her? The Australian Newpaper has come under fire for a less than tactful obituary. Yes it is outrageous describing her as "of plain feature" and "definitely overweight" that has apparently been written.

But we wouldn't want to be distracted from quiet and dignified acknowlegement of what she achieved. Obviously in the face of that sort of ignorant and shallow perception of people.

Yes, I'll remember just where I was, when I read about her passing.

Right here, in the library, among her books.

As far as I'm concerned, she was always a beautiful woman, and her weight was her business like it should have been for an obituary. Especially an Obit.

Sparky