Tonight we are having a birthday party for Clare, my sixteen (sorry, just turned seventeen) year old, in the back yard just outside my home office. The party rages as I talk. But how different from the last party for my eldest, reflecting the differences between the two.
Eldest, by the way, is not here. She has gone down to Wagga Wagga by train with a group for a school friend's birthday.
Helen is a funny girl. Since we came down to Sydney she has really fallen in love with the beach and the eastern suburbs. But get her back to to the country and she has a great time. Given that recent survey results show that 70 per cent of city kids have never been on a farm, I feel that I have at least given my kids some access to different life styles. What they do with that is up to them, but at least they have seen it.
Back to Clare and her party. Clare is much more into writing, into design and art and is a very good cartoonist. She is also into causes, marching with a school friend in the Sydney marches to protest the proposed invasion of Iraq. By contrast, her dad was inclined to support the invasion and now feels very stupid at having accepted the arguments put forward about weapons of mass destruction.
I must say I bit my tongue about her going in the march. I did not oppose her, I support her right to her own view, but thought that it might be dangerous.
Back to the party. Yes, there is loud music. But there has also been singing to musicals lead by a one guest who, complete with bow tie, turns out to be a leading young Sysney singer.
A little later. The party has just finished. It's after twelve, we can tidy up tomorrow, but I want to post a brief response to Neil and David first re their comments on my last post.
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