Sunday 3 February 2013

Storytelling Sunday Three: Pick Your Precious

Storytelling Sunday Three? There is no excuse for not joining in with this one - everyone can do it! Pick Your Precious is about celebrating the little things you love: those souvenirs, bits and pieces, things from your past you can't bear to throw out. You know, the special little something you have tucked away in a drawer or up on a shelf? Or the thing you  love most in a room? Or the object you would save if you knew you had to leave the country? Your favourite things.

Ready to begin?

A Postcard In Primary Two

It's February. The month of love. And for that reason, as I was picking my precious, i was thinking about things given to me with love. There are a few pieces of jewellery, fancy handbags, even - but these are the kind of things I would leave behind if I had exit in a hurry. I'd take the man who gave them to me instead. So, in the end I've settled for a simple postcard.



It's not perfectly precious, I'll admit it; but I've held on to it for forty years now, so I guess that means I'm attached. If I disappeared tomorrow, someone would look at it and laugh and wonder what it meant. And, if he or she knew me well enough, they'd know, of course, that there would have to be a story. So here it is.

When I was six my Dad got a new job. A good one, an exciting one; but it did mean moving to a new town. And a new house and a new school. The school thing was hard. I'd only started the year before, and I'd made my friends and shown them that I could read; and suddenly I was being asked to do it all over again..

But when I got there I discovered there was somebody else in a new uniform, with a different accent and parents from out of town. You notice these things in a class of ten. ..

So Ian and I quickly became fast friends. We played houses every lunchtime and he went out to work while I stayed home and tidied. He had a hand knitted school sweater, I remember, and nice brown hair, and one day he came in and said that his dad had been transferred and they'd have to move. Which was not what a girl wants to hear when she sees babies and a cosy little cottage in their future.

They did move, too, quite soon after and it was a wrench. My love life was in tatters and I had to play with the girls instead. One afternoon, a couple of months later, I was settling down to an hour of comprehension cards when the teacher came back from the Staffroom with a handful of post. She pulled a brightly coloured (very brightly coloured. and coloured very brightly too) postcard from the pile and she handed it..to me. It was from Ian! And it was all a bit surreal. A postcard sent to school? Nobody ever got post in school. From abroad? From my boyfriend friend who happened to be a boy? With all the words spelled out in different colours. Wow. 


It still makes me smile to think about it now and that postcard continues to sit in my collection of special letters. I only heard from him the once. But that was enough. He cared. He sent me a precious postcard. And I kept it.

And that's my story for February. Now, how about yours? Show us some pictures, tell us the story behind whatever you choose: it's all good. Write your post, with an introduction linking back to Storytelling Sunday (so your readers get the idea, the more the merrier!) and come link us up. I'm looking forward to reading about your treasures..

..More information can be found on the Storytelling Sunday page. And, don't forget, any story will be welcomed. It doesn't have to be precious in any way at all! Whatever you have in your head will be just fine: small or tall, we'll read them all. And if you are reading in a Reader, click through now to join in...



44 comments:

Amy said...

Oh goodness, what a precious little friendship. This is something that I would keep too, I bet it was an absolute thrill to recieve at the time!

Beverly said...

A precious story, Sian and someday when the card is found in your special box the story will be retold. I love the sweetness of your and Ian's short time together and that he used a different color for each word.

Unknown said...

Oh how fabulous to have such a thing, I always admire your keepsakes, I wish I'd been better minded in that way. You definitely were a born scrapbooker/memory keeper. You don't need me to tell you that you should keep on doing it. I have been inspired this past 18 months to hang onto stuff I might otherwise have buried in a box in the attic.

Why am I up so late that I have seen this before bed?

Writing my post ready to slot photos in tomorrow once I have finished the layout and taking photos :)

Such is the great power SS has over me now. Well done Sian, it is a lovely thing to join in with. I am also glad that I will be able to join in on time this month as I was a little remiss on enjoying everyone's tales last month.

Thanks agan for hosting. Have a good month x

Anonymous said...

How special that little card is and I love that he has taken so much care to spell each word out in different coloured crayon.

debs14 said...

That really is a very precious card. I do hope that your husband isn't too jealous about your first love! Doesn't it make you wonder where Ian is now and what he is doing? I wonder if he remembers sending it?

Jo said...

That is a lovely story and it's great that you kept the card. I want to know what happened to Ian, I wonder what he's doing now? :)

Sheena said...

What a wonderful treasure to keep hold of and a story beautifully told x. I wonder where he is now ?

Missus Wookie said...

Oh what a nice love story - do like the details of him going out to work and you staying home to tidy.

Thank you yet again for organising STS - it has become such an important part of my blogging month. When I rang to check details on my story from my parents I only had to say, 'Well it's for STS' and they completely understood ;)

Kirsty.A said...

What a sweet story. Thanks for sharing it with us

Jane said...

what a lovely story and how sweet you kept the postcard.

Becky said...

What a lovely story and a lovely postcard too! I can see why you kept it :) xx

Estelle Grace Tudor said...

That is such a lovely story Sian.

Have a fab day, Estelle xx

Jimjams said...

What a wonderful story Siân ... great that you've documented it!

Susanne said...

Wonderful story - we all remember that first friend who happened to be a boy, don't we.

Scrappi Sandi said...

How sweet...I love that he wrote his words in different colours...all neat & tidy! I wonder what he went on to become in life? Something artistic I'd guess!! But I also want to know...what is the red word that's disguised & what was its significance? A nickname or something? Obviously something that warrented being highlighted in its own yellow cloud!!! ;D

scrappyjacky said...

What a lovely story,Sian....and how.perfect that you still have the postcard.

Denise said...

How lovely that you kept this Sian.I think we all have a special thing or memory of our friends who were boys when we were small. I loved this little story - so well told x

Anonymous said...

What a great little card and how super that you've kept it. A memorykeeper even in those days.

Karen said...

What a wonderful story! I love that you still have that postcard.

Sandra said...

A true friend, how wonderful you kept it.

Ruth said...

How wonderful that you kept it all these years. I have a letter from my dad, written when mum was poorly, and I'm so glad I've kept it. Sometimes, I take it from the box I keep it in and just smell the envelope ... there you have it, I've just shared a peculiar habit with the world wide web ...

Lou said...

aww Sian - such a sweet story and it makes you wonder what he's doing know x

Melissa said...

What a lovely story & memento from a precious friend so long ago! Reminds me of a cassette tape I have from my Grandma when I was a little girl - I've added it to my list of ideas for future Storytelling Sundays.

I linked up last night, but am just now settling in for some great reading! Thanks for continuing to inspire us to tell our stories.

ComfyMom~Stacey said...

Such a wonderful story!

Anonymous said...

Sian, what a wonderful story.

....and I'll say it again - what an amazing thing you have done, setting the STS up and maintaining it for so long - it truly is a wonderful thing. It is so nourishing, so so wonderful, reading everyone's stories!

Was going to make you a card using this - http://unn0ticed.tumblr.com/post/19687551378 - but, alas, it would most probably not arrive, so I'm sending it to you with a smile and a hug of appreciation ;) I know you'll love it :)

Lythan said...

that is a precious postcard indeed. How brilliant that you have kept it all this time!

Melissa said...

Sian, I just had to pop back & over & tell you what a lovely time I've had reading stories today. However, I have discovered a problem . . . I am finding so much inspiration & ideas for future Storytelling Sundays & layouts that I'm having trouble getting myself motivated to do chores & get the Rotel cheese dip going for the SuperBowl later today! :>)

Ifa said...

aaw, how sweet. You were obviously into holding on to memories even back then. I wonder whatever happened to Ian. Have you looked up on Facebook?

Deb @ PaperTurtle said...

This story had me smiling from beginning to end, Sian. I love the colorful card, the cute story to go with it, and the fact that you've held on to it all these years. :o)

Mel said...

This is so cute and precious! Was he a bit in touch with his feminine side? How sad that you had to be parted! Bet you were the envy of everyone at school that day!

Nathalie said...

I'm lame... i still haven't managed to get a post ready for Pick Your Precious! Hopefully one day I'll get to it! Your card and its story definitely put a big smile on my face, and memories of first love came back to me.
So sweet!

Ginger said...

That card is very colourful!! It was so nice of your friend to think of you and send a card and that you kept all these years :) A precious card indeed!

KathiJo said...

Ahhh this is so sweet, there are just some things which although you can live without you just like to keep for the story..I would have an attic full if I had my way and had over ever moved house..x

Ladkyis said...

OK Big envy! That made me forget about the pain in my neck for a while. Thank you. Such a wonderful story - have you scrapbooked it yet?
An excellent start to my reading

Cheri said...

That's so sweet that you have a memento from your first puppy love!

Unknown said...

I LOVE postcards. I have collected them since I was a child from a Grandma who travelled. When I travel I always post them to my friends children. There is nothing like receiving a colourful postcard in the mail. Oh the excitement! And to get it at school would have been even better! :-)

laurie said...

what a sweet memory and momento! i wonder what he is up to now... i bet he would enjoy knowing that you still have that postcard. :-)

Elizabeth said...

I can see why this postcard is precious to you. After all, Ian was your first love--innocent though it was. I would have kept it all these years, too.

Rhona said...

What a sweet story :) I love that you still have that card xx

dogmatix said...

What a lovely story. I had a friend who lived next to my Grandparents and was one of my best friends at school until she moved just before end of primary. We wrote a couple of letter to each other and then lost contact until we were 13 and wrote regularly after that, even visiting each other. We are still friends now :-) I used to have those first letters that she sent but unfortunately, I think I lost them during one of my moves along with a whole heap of letters from various penfriends I had through my younger years :-(

Fiona@Staring at the Sea said...

How wonderful that he sent it you and even more wonderful that you still have it. I have a shoebox of postcards sent to me by friends during college summer breaks but nothing as old as that.

Barbara Eads said...

For whatever reason, I couldn't get my comment to publish. I'm trying again.

What a sweet memory---and to have kept that card all these years. Wouldn't it be fun to see where or what your friend is up to in this day and age? Through the powers of facebook and the internet, I'll bet you could. But on the other hand, maybe it's best to just have this sweet reminder of time gone by.

Unknown said...

I just spent a very relaxing three hours catching up on this months stories. It was a fabulous way to spend a morning off :-) Thanks Sian for this series.

Jennifer Grace said...

Aw that's so sweet! How nice that he thought of you. And what a beautifully written postcard!

My daughter and her friends are always sending cards to each other, I hope she'll hang on to a couple of them! x

Related Posts with Thumbnails