It’s Saturday night and I’m at home in Lismore. We’ve just watched “The Simpsons” and had dinner and I’m just taking a few minutes out to update my diary before a night at home. Quite a bit has happened since my last update on Sunday night. I have been on holiday this week which is why I’m in Lismore.
Although I had always planned to come to Lismore this week, it was, perhaps a fortunate (?) co-incidence that I was here for the death of niece’s son, Lachlan. After fourteen months of suffering, he died on Monday morning. It has been good to be here for that reason alone.
I arrived Tuesday morning and the next forty eight hours or so was taken up with family things. The funeral was held Thursday morning. I was asked to read a passage from the Bible, Psalm 23, which I was a little apprehensive about – apprehensive that I would mess it up with nervousness – but it all seemed to go okay.
I have had a couple of social occasions, including lunch at a new Italian place with some colleagues and a drink or three last night at Lismore’s “gay and lesbian venue”, The Winsome. Last night was Karaoke Night, which meant that it was marginally better than the last time I was here. It reminded me, however, why I left Porpoise Spit.
There was a further reminder today at the Lismore Square, when I found myself surrounded, it seemed, by thousands of shopping trolleys and prams. Although I have looked with genuine interest, this time, at real estate in the area, which is extremely affordable, I recognise that, at this point in my life, it’s still not the place for me.