No. 41 - BARBARA

Barbara and her husband (I think his name may have been Alfons) were our neighbours when we lived in rural Victoria. I was 8.

I remember always feeling welcome in their home. During the family conversations that have arisen due to my 365 project, my brother and I reminisced recently about Barbara's garden. Or more to the point that the fact that her garden was 100% edible.

Barbara's husband, (I believe) Alfons, was quite elderly and frail. Most of my memories are of him sitting in his chair, occasionally talking and me rarely understanding due to his accent.

I learnt one of those life long lessons in Barbara and Alfons' home. The kind of lesson that sticks with you for life, the kind you always remember the time and place you learnt it and the kind that is always available for playback in your mind.

I was chewing on a lolly and was about to head to the bathroom. I remember someone (most likely my Mum) saying that that is not the place for eating. So I chewed as fast as I could and then politely excused myself. As gross as it may sound, the lesson I learned was that "we do not eat in the bathroom". One would hope that is the kind of lesson we do not need to learn, that we are just born with that knowledge, but apparently I wasn't.