During his years travelling around rural Australia as a grey nomad, Ken Hudson of Alstonville has noticed some additional measurements for the Circumference of Convenience (C8). “When you start to see takeaway food wrappings on the roadside you’re around 12 to 15km from the next town. When you see tyre ‘donuts’ on the road, you’re about 8 to 10km from town – so dad can’t hear you wearing his tyres out.”
The venerable Harry Bell of Bowral believes that Joan Brown has misinterpreted the data in her search for a measure of old age (C8). “Being ‘old enough to remember’ the warning issued by TV manufacturers in the 1950s fits the criterion of ‘middle age’. You are not ‘old’ until you are old enough to have forgotten it. Keep smiling, Joan.”
“Ah Joan, you also know you’re getting old (C8) when your back goes out more than you do!” observes Dan O’Regan of Blacktown.
Vases, spilled or otherwise, (C8) were of little concern to some. It was the set-top aerial, or bunny-ears aerial, that Don Bain of Port Macquarie recalls “had to be adjusted at sporadic intervals to sharpen the image, often as not to cries of ‘It was better the way it was!’” For Col Burns of Lugarno, “as punishment for childhood indiscretions my mother gave me the option of a feather duster around the legs or 30 tortuous minutes holding the aerial in a position that enabled her to watch Bob and Dolly on Pick-a-Box. I always chose the feather duster!”
As her four young grandchildren often stay overnight, Kerry Whalen of Varsity Lakes (Qld) decided to buy a toothbrush holder for their toothbrushes. “I couldn’t locate one in any bathroom specialty store, so I asked a shop assistant for help, who frowned and said, ‘These days people have el-ec-tric toothbrushes,’ each syllable sounded so that I could understand this amazing concept. As I was leaving, I spotted a table display which included a toothbrush holder. Triumphant, I held it high as I headed to the cash register, or whatever they are called these days.”
