I was plunged int nostalgia this morning when opening an email from CPI. It is the banner head of the Gateway, The newspaper of the University of Alberta, my (and CPI’s alma mater. It shall be attached to this blog and those with very good eyesight can see under Features the name Lexy Dryburgh, which is me, an earlier version. Dryburgh is my birth name and for a brief time I was Lexy (that rhymes with Sexy). I gave all of that up when I married and assumed his name McBride, which I kept through successive husbands. Nostalgia is such a pretty word and such a rather lovely concept. Its definition: a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. Used in a sentence: : I was overcome with acute nostalgia for my days in college. Its synonyms are: remembrance, recollection; wistfulness, regret, sentimentality; homesickness So I felt wistful. recalling those undergraduate days Going to university was unheard of within the ranks of my family and at the time women compromised only 10% of the university population. But I was determined to lead a different life than that of my family – there is actually no doubt about it – I did.
But something wonderful happened in my current and present life. Yesterday I emerged from my apartment. Personal Driver took me to Marin for an appointment and then back to the City for grocery shopping. At one point he opened the glove compartment and brought forth a carefully wrapped gift. It was from his seventeen and a half year old daughter, a young woman I have never met because of the ‘self isolation’ as I now call it. She gave it to him with the reques Please give this to Alexis. Upon opening and within delight there was a watch and a necklace. I was so surprised and stunned and pleased and happy. I wrote a thank you note – here are some of the things I said. “You are a darling! Thank you so much for this gift. Guess what? My birthday is this month, I shall be 77 on May 29 (but I do not look it). Yours is the first present I received (and probably my last) Hahaha. Your gift made me feel so special! It will be wonderful to meet her when this all ends. Personal Driver sees many omens that it will be over at the end of May and I am taking his word for it. Why not? It fills me with a degree of hope.
So I am most happy and content at this moment. I have rather wondrous memories of a time gone by and the promise of having a new young woman in my life. It is like having the best of both worlds. At the moment the present is a bit of a drag as I am in solitary confinement for a crime I did not commit but the end is sight, apparently.
We are about to veer in an entirely different direction, so grab your hats. Go to this link:
https://youtu.be/C-KHXqpfc. What you shall see is a stunningly beautiful building in Dubai – the opera house. I do admit that I did not see it when I was there. It rivals, and perhaps exceeds the beauty of the famed Sydney, Australia Opera House.
One video in the line up is one of the Sultan (aka the Crown Prince of Dubai, aka Fazza)) It is heart rending, Your Money or Your Life. It describes so eloquently the horrible problems of being so rich. It is definitely not what it is cracked up to be. It is so worth watching.
Wise Man in his professional capacity likens the Sultan to an onion. The complexities of his life and upbringing has created layer and layers and layers of ‘self’. The problem is (and was) iyou never know what layer you are going to get, so it is massively confusing and at times, cruel. Trust me, it was. Whereas with me, it is quite the opposite.
Me: I am not like that.
Wise Man: (Laughingly) No you are not – what you sees is what get with you.
Me: You are right about that.
It seems I have always been this way. When I moved to Vancouver I met up with CPI and her husband after years and years and years of absence. I queried CPI’s husband
Me: Do I seem the same as I was some forty give years ago.
He: Yes, only more so.
That was a fantastic answer and I laughed and laughed and laughed. My life is so improbable and unbelievable but I always tell the truth and I have no secrets. A very different life from those with money and power I am the same with everyone and treat everyone as equals, which is most appealing to men with money and power and others, I guess.
So the is the truth (as usual). I was reflecting doing this period of self isolation and decided that I was through with men – things have never worked out and this seemed the best way out. My cell phone suddenly pinged – I ignored it but then went to look and see who or what was there.
He: Hi Sexy
Me: Where have you been all my life? You could say: Well Alexis for the first half of your life I had not yet been born. I am so funny!
He: No response, Typical man.
Now I do admit that was a slight exaggeration as he is 44. No plans to get together, for many reasons, including these turbulent times. Personal Driver has a new plan for me.
He: You should move to my country, Pakistan. I will find you a good man and you can settle down and lead a normal life.
Me: Pakistan? I do not know as I hate the heat. Do they have air conditioning there.
He: Of course they do Alexis.
Me: OK I will think about it them. But I do not want another multibillionaire..
He: Fine, Alexis
Honest to goodness, all of this is true and the conversations reported did take place.
