Your family history: Burden or Blessing?
When I was eight years old my grandfather gave me a book. It was a small palm-sized book; the size of a cigarette packet; the King James bible and inside he wrote to “reb*” from Grandpa 1974.
I think it was a standard military issue bible, and carried another inscription from someone who had previously passed the book to my grandfather.
I have carried the book with me for some forty years, usually just packing it with whatever other books I may have.
However in this digital age, the physical burden of lugging books around is a real hassle.
I’d like to pass the bible on to my niece, not out of any sense of passing on the “good word” which I’ve never had the care nor inclinitation to read. But more in a sense of continuing the historical linegage that this small book has traversed.
While reflecting on the burden of passing on historically meaningful artficats like this, I was given pause to think about the gypsies.
Rather than lug there forebearer’s belongings around for generations, the gypsies simply burn someone’s earthly belongings when that person passes away.
Thereby affirming the transient nature of life and the passing nature of material possessions.
I wonder whether that’s a better way of looking at things…
What do you think…?
*he didn’t really write “reb”
theguttertrash.com 
I remember when I was a boy that the gypsies would come ’round door knocking selling clothes pegs.
The same pegs they had nicked off you washing line 2 0r 3 weeks ago…
I guess they were the modern day “asylum seekers” bereft of any government handouts they had no other way of supporting themselves financially…
“I think it was a standard military issue bible, and carried another inscription from someone who had previously passed the book to my grandfather.”
At the Catholic boarding school, I, a christbaiting non-delusionist, attended, it was compulsory to adopt ‘religion’ as a subject from Years 9-12 (my duration); hardly surprising & par for the course at a
grooming institutionCatholic Penitentiary. Anyhow, they handed out bibles, blue, worn & nondescript…The Good News Bible, if I’m not mistaken (guffaw). Every new student received one, handed down from the paeon before him/her (yes, at least it was a co-ed Molestitentiary) & entrusted into his/her reverent custody.Ahem…
So…
I made sure that I drew a cock, or a turd with flies & stink lines, on every single rudimentary illustration in that beaten book …
Who knows who was the next lucky punter who received my hilarious desecration tome?
And the moral of the story is…
Here I stand, still walking the planet, not a New Earth, in the backwardsarsed biblical sense, and guess what?…
…I haven’t been struck down by some vengeful magic entity.
Why? you may ask..
Well, because it was just a book.
At least I wasn’t one of the actual Catholics making blutak genitals & attaching them to the holy painting in the dormitory.
Here endeth the lesson.
I “won” an “illustrated” bible for “attendance” at Sunday school … pretty spiffy but I’ve never understood how … I used to play marbles underneath the hall!
Anyway it found a “good” home for it … with my Catlick sister … haven’t seen it for over 20 years now … nor her … 🙂
BTW, I like the travellers talked to some in Ireland a few years back … but based on history … I wouldn’t/couldn’t trust ’em …
My grandkids will get a copy of my family genealogy back to 1515 … and The Minister’s family in Holland has its own website (and genealogy) … I think its back to the 1600’s now …
I just received an email from the Prime Minister … it may be important …
Australians are becoming less christian….
‘in 1911, 96 per cent of people considered themselves Christian, but that number has now fallen to 61 per cent.’
Australians are becoming less christian….
Thank Christ for that …
Even 61% is frightening …
The USA is around 78%
Those Muslins (sic) must be making real inroads into our biblical society, hey?
🙄 as he shakes his head …
Muslims make up just a little over 2% of the Australian population, no need to be afrayd of those god botherers.
Muslins are a lot more hygienic than those hessians, especially when it comes to cooking..
Speaking of hygiene …
I can never remember which hand Muslims eat with … cause they use the other one to wipe their bums …
Mix up could be a real problem …. 😯
Yes, it could leave a bad taste in your mouth… 😯
Muslins eat with their right hand. _ So do Muslims.
LOL!