An odd way to reconnect
Sitting in my hotel room in Shanghai, my mind wandering between my Business in China studies and work, I saw a message pop up from LinkedIn with the title “Leigh wants to connect with you”. While these messages were and remain a constant fixture in my life, this one sparked more than a passing interest.
My mind flashed back to a scene that I had revisited many times. It’s a rainy day in my childhood home, a weatherboard Californian bungalow in Brunswick, a vibrant and multicultural suburb in the inner north region of Melbourne. My grandmother, who lived with me, my mother and her two siblings, Peter and Sandra was serving up canned Campbell’s Tomato Soup and crumpets, which were staple Sunday dinner fare after a full day of Aussie rules football, mud and frozen toes.
As I pushed another soup soaked chunk of buttery goodness into my mouth, the doorbell chimed and I was heading for the door at warp speed. I’m not sure why I was so dedicated to my role as voluntary doorman, but I was rarely beaten to the post. Wearing a tomato smile and gasping for air, I opened the door to find my father standing resplendent in his navy uniform, looking down at me from a height of just over six feet.
In a single motion, he reached down, scooped me up, slinging me onto his shoulders and in a blur, he broke into a canter, speeding down the hallway to the living room. While this would have been a fine idea in many homes, this period of California bungalow often featured ornate, yet solid works of wooden art jutting down from the ceiling.
With my hands firmly confined to my father’s grip and fear leaving me mute, I watched as one of the said works of art came careening towards my laughing, but unprotected head. The impact saw me thrown from my father’s shoulders, enter into an involuntary backflip/cartwheel combo and land on my left shoulder and both buttocks. A vocal altercation ensued between my mother and father, with colour commentary from my grandmother and this was the last time I remember seeing my father until the aforementioned LinkedIn connection request arrived about 35 years later.
