a Memory, a Photo, a Music piece ... and a Story for "Find your old photo albums" challenge

"Who's up to leafing through old photo albums?", is the question asked by our Q Inspired-by-Music admin. My initial thought: "No Way Hozay" (Hozay is my attempt to translate a Dutch word into English; Honestly, can't even give you an exact definition of this word, perhaps I invented it when I was a bit younger).

and then my thoughts changed...

I couldn't let this challenge unanswered since it's such a nice one. A memory, a photo and the music associated with it. To play, I just had to up my game in being creative. Find a photograph that doesn't doxx me too much. Sure, those knowing me here at HIVE for more than a few years, perhaps remember I doxxed myself from day one through my profile pic. A few years ago, don't remember when exactly anymore, I took myself down and replaces myself with my alter ego aka my roommate (well, more like my flatmate).

The search was on...

...until I remembered a few still images my mother send me when we entered covid and I jumped on some memory lane initiative over at our (somewhat) hated social network, the one that leads the world of social media, the one with big plans in the virtual world, the one with the big, but small letter 'f'.

Perfect ... Or? You tell me 😉

My friends and I were in my little bed in a somewhat unusual place. More about the latter in a second. My mother told me I was a bit ill. Perhaps that is the excuse for my silliness to wear this somewhat peculiar hat. Fortunately, my parents didn't feel I was crazy enough for the nuthouse. I still thank them for that 🙇 "Pa, Ma: You are reading this?" {probably not since edje, you know best you never told your parents about this blog you have; maybe time to do so?}

Music (prelude)

As far as I recollect. no radio around, or vinyl player, or one of those old tape decks. But I need some music to go along with this! Otherwise, it can't be anything else than a big disqualification from the challenge not challenge. Sorry, had to add the 'not challenge'. I simply like challenges that are not entirely challenges as we usually see them around our beloved HIVE chain. No direct rewards like HIVE or HBD, other than the hopefully massive amount of engagement happening down below this post plus some extra votes 😎

Music

Two of my favourite friends are close by to support me in my ordeal: The one I used as a pillow, and the grey one to the right. Bear and Rabbit. Honestly, I think they had names, but can't remember them anymore. And can't ask my mom, since she will ask me all sorts of questions and either I have to invent all sorts of excuses, or I have to tell the truth. Not sure if the latter is wise for me to do. I need to review all that I've written to the HIVE chain to see if it's all ok for my mom to read. I think so, but you never know 😉

Those two friends lead me to the music that came to mind when I thought of entering this challenge with this still image.

The first one is a kid's song. A Dutch one. "Berend botje ging uit varen, met zijn bootje naar Zuidlaren", is the opening line. About a bear named 'Berend' going on a boat trip. The obvious connection is the bear. But what you shall know as well, this little kids' song was a very popular one in my time back in the 70s. And perhaps the boat has an angle into my story as well.

The rabbit. Well. There is just one super sad song you may know very well. Though written and created later to the still image being shot, 1978 to be exact, this was one of the songs that crossed my mind immediately, probably because it was one of my favourites at the time when released. Perhaps because of the cartoon video clip. Back then when not too many artists released their music with video clips. Kate Bush was an early bird with her 'Wuthering Heights'. As well as Queen with 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. But that's beside the point of this blog post. I just remember I happily watched the one and only music program running on Dutch television, every single week. Without a doubt that program named 'Top Pop', was by far my most favourite TV program at the time.

Delayed but not Forgotten

Did you remember I told you before that my little bed was situated at some unusual place? Noooo, not in the bathroom or something. It was in a bedroom. Though that bedroom was part of a somewhat unusual house. A house on a boat. Well, more like a ship. A ship that sailed the rivers and canals in a few European countries. Netherlands, Germany and even Switzerland. When my parents had to decide what to do for a living, they decided to make sailing one of the key tasks of their profession. Sometimes I wonder why they didn't buy a sailing boat or something with some none moving home so I would've enjoyed a normal childhood with friends in the street, a school around the corner, and playgrounds everywhere.

But noooo.

Though I still sometimes wonder what would've been my childhood and teenage years like when growing up in a normal house, in a normal village or city, I always conclude by no means I didn't want to have missed out on the different but super nice way of living on the water. Think of it. At all times I had a big swimming pool around me. Whenever the ship was moving, the world was playing like a movie, with changing scenery every single minute. The way I learned about cities was through their harbours. And I passed by the beautiful 'schöne Lorelei' many times, way before I read about her in a poem by Heinrich Heine years later when in secondary school. I knew the story in the poem already when I was little. The Lorelei is perhaps the most beautiful and most dangerous corner of the river Rhein. In the past, when ships weren't too powerful and automated, many accidents happened. If the water would've been ocean deep, this could've been easily a second Bermuda Triangle. These days with all the modern gear on ships, this corner isn't that dangerous anymore. But, honestly, one needs to know to sail a ship, still today, otherwise an accident is easily made.

Somewhere my parents have quite dramatic photographs taken from the ship, with rough water streaming around the Lorelei. But unfortunately, I wasn't able to find them. Most photos on the internet aren't showing the Lorelei (which is the steep mountain to the mid-left of the still image above), but shots from the top of the mountain, rendering the Lorelei invisible. I must admit, when writing these lines, this feeling slowly emerged of missing the days I was living on my parent's ship, sailing the Rhein. I miss seeing these views from the water. Perhaps time to jump on board the ship of an old friend. I used to sail with him and his family a long time ago every other year or so, but somehow I stopped doing this. Time for a change! Not only I'll have the chance to catch up and spend quality time with them, but it's also a super nice way of spending a vacation. Pleasure feelings already 🙃

Had to practise what I learned yesterday from the challenge initiator: 'How to hide a still image'. Another bear. Another edje. Mini bear. Mini edje. I can ask you what year this was, but I'm afraid I don't know myself.

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^{all media by edje unless stated otherwise}