It was with the greatest sadness that I learned today of the death of an icon; Elizabeth Taylor. The first I heard of the news was in a text from my sister who lives in South Africa to ask if I had heard anything. I had not, but immediately got onto twitter and there it was 😦 – “Elizabeth Taylor Has Died at the age of 79 – NYTimes.com”
At that precise moment I was standing on the Stone Gallery of St Paul’s Cathedral looking out across London and marvelling at how lucky I am to live in this wonderful and beautiful city. My sister thought it was quite apt that I should be at St Paul’s on hearing this news.
As I read the newsfeed on twitter I felt an inextricable sense of loss. A deep sadness that threatened to overwhelm me at that moment and I found myself in tears as I looked out over the city. This may seem odd to anyone reading this blog, but Elizabeth Taylor, although I never met her personally, played a big part in my childhood. My mother was a huge fan of hers and we saw every movie that had Elizabeth Taylor in it.
As children growing up in the ‘backwaters’ of South Africa (I joke of course), to us, Elizabeth Taylor seemed almost always in the news; London, Hollywood and in fact ‘overseas’ in general always looked glittering and enticing, an unreachable world of glamour. It helped of course that she was incredibly beautiful and ‘appeared’ to lead a charmed life.
As children we, my sister and I, thought that my mother was incredibly glamorous, with her lovely long titian hair that hung down her back. When she dressed up to go out, we hung around admiring her outfits and jewellery; entranced as she ‘did her face’. We thought she was the image of Elizabeth Taylor and often told her that. Needless to say she scoffed at the very idea, but truly when she did her hair up in the swirls and curls of the swinging sixties fashions, she looked almost identical to Elizabeth Taylor, more particularly when she wore a turban on her head….an egyptian beauty in Jo’burg.
So as I stood there, hundreds of feet above the city, the wind was taken out my sails and I sat down on the bench nearby with a thump. At that moment it felt like a link, albeit a very tenuous link, to my mother had just broken. She, Elizabeth Taylor was only 79! that is still such a young age in today’s world. My mother died 27 years ago just a couple of months short of her 53rd birthday.
I have surpassed that age and next month celebrate my 56th birthday (urgh – I am far too young to be 56!!!) and it suddenly came home to me that it was time I made some changes in my life. I have been threatening to quit my job for a very long time now. I feel like life is whizzing me by, working 24hours a day/7 days a week with the occasional break and days off (of course I always make the most of those breaks & days). I keep finding reasons to not quit, like I have debts to pay, I want to save up for a campervan and/or blah blah blah! Frankly it is just total fear that keeps me from making the break!
And so, in that very moment, as the news hit home, and I sat there with tears running down my face, I made the decision to quit my job.
There is so much I still want to do and places I want to go and I am damned if I am going to my grave not having been to or done the things I want to do. “When people say, ‘She’s got everything’, I’ve got one answer – I haven’t had tomorrow.” Elizabeth Taylor.
So goodbye Elizabeth Taylor and au revoir Mommy, we miss you.
Congratulations and best of luck — I look forward to hearing about your new adventures!
thanks Thomas. I will keep you posted. It’s a bit scary actually…..no make that very scary, to think about quitting my job. Of course reality dictates that I have to do work of some sort but I will certainly not be working 24/7/30 anymore. Now plans are being made for where to from here. Thankfully I have a week off 2-9th so will sit down and do some planning. Lovely to hear from you. have a fab weekend and be safe.
Aaah sister mine, what beautiful words. Yes, a tenuous link, but a link none the less, and now its no more. 😦
An Egyptian beauty in JHB mommy was – perfect description!!
Yeah, being at St Paul’s for you was perfect and I SO wish I could have been there with you just at that time, I think we may both have needed it. Also apt as mommy loved the idea of anything even closely linked to Mary Poppins….. remember “feed the birds”??
yeah!!! “feed the birds” of course I do. In fact I have sat on the very spot in the movie. 🙂 I made a point of it! and Mary Poppins is one of the reasons I felt in love with London…..the chimney pots!! thanks for your comment re the blog. and thanks for being to one to let me know, glad it was you. xx
Aunty Cindy, you make me cry at work….. I wish I was lucky enough to meet Granny. Even though I haven’t, I miss her, just from hearing the stories you, my mom, Cheri and Tracey share with me…. Thank you for giving me a little more about my Granny
its wierd that your blogs often echo my sentiments exactly
I love you sis :,(
thank pet. love you too. lets catch up when I am on leave. 2-9th April, then we can talk uninterrupted xx
Hi, Cindy! I enjoyed your post. You seem to feel strongly about the subject. Wish you to visit Russia one day. By the way, there is a post on my blog about St. Petersburg, which I wrote keeping you in mind: http://olgaselfexpression.wordpress.com/2011/03/25/my-view-of-saint-petersburg/ 😉
wonderful piece Olga! thank you so much for your kind thoughts. I left a comment on the blog, but just to say now that you have definitely sparked the desire to visit RIGHT NOW! 🙂 I really appreciate your gesture.
have a wonderful day
regards
Cindy