An Open Book: My Story, My “little” Life

An Open Book: My Story, My “little” Life

Updated Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MD4U9QQ

Also now available in paperback at http://www.amazon.com/Open-Book-little-Normal-Anyway/dp/1494903938

Many people over the years have said I should write a book about my journey, my ‘little’ life

… so here’s one!

“Be bold and unseen forces come to one’s aid.”

“If you don’t risk everything, you risk even more.”

– Erica Jong in her book ‘Fear of Flying’

from Here, There and Everywhere

http://www.amazon.com/Here-There-Everywhere-Craig-Lock-ebook/dp/B005GVDCLM

“I’m gonna write till I drop!”

For a bit of “wacky” humour click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogPZ5CY9KoM
Monty Python on novel writing

“Watching children grow
is like threatening the ivy
to climb the garden wall.
You wait for it to happen
you hurry it along with love.
But still you’re disappointed
at giving someone life enough
to walk off on your own
and not be carried in your arms.
You never turn your back – not once,
and yet one day they’ve grown apart
or taller.
It’s all the same.

Polly put the kettle on, we’ll all have tea.
Giving love to children
has made us older overnight.

– Rod McKune

Dedicated to my dear family. “I love you in the very special way that I’ve written about in these pages.”

DIARY OF A ROLLING STONE

and HOW I HAVE JUST THROWN A DOUBLE SIX TO START A NEW STABLE LIFE.

I don’t know why “the hell” I am writing this story of my life; because probably nobody will believe it, but my friends (who are a motley collection of out of the ordinary crazy individuals, as opposed to my dear wife’s rather “straight-laced” friends) have suggested that this account of my life could be a hilarious best seller. We shall see (“dream on, sonny boy”!

*

I am writing these first words on a Jumbo jet bound for New Zealand… and who knows what!  I am a 39 year old male, who has been working in Cape Town as the Life Manager of a dynamic insurance brokerage, marking time to join my wife, Marie and twin sons, Gareth and Sean in New Zealand. They have gone there 6 weeks ago on our second immigration to NZ (4th actually in 4 years…so we have had plenty of practice runs). We are going there for a dull stable life of bottling jams, pickling bums, er sorry buns and especially picking noses and endless cups of tea (as my dear mother says, all Kiwis do that – pick their noses, except for “straight” Round Tablers and Rotarians, who  don’t  do it at functions!).  So I guess I’ll have to learn how to pick my nose to be accepted In “Godzone”*. Please excuse my dear “crazy” wife (must have got the “bug” from your author, but indeed she has a heart of gold.

RIP our chaotic crazy existence so far.

* little joke interlude

Question: “Do you pick your nose?”

Answer: “If I were you, I would have picked a better one!”

*

I think that I have always been a bit different to the “normal run of the mill sort of person”; so let’s start at the beginning and maybe we can understand why my life has been waylaid (and I have been laid) by many tributaries off the beaten track.

I am now starting this account of my life on an aeroplane heading for the other side of the planet: the idyllic South Pacific islands of New Zealand to rejoin my family there and a new future. What will happen to me and my family there? We shall see…

October 1989…high up in the sky

                         *

As my dear mother once said, “I’ve been riding the rapids of life in all my years”; so now its rather nice to be becalmed here in these calm waters. Yes, here in the haven and at the same time, the harbour of “Sleepy Hollow”, we are sheltered from the storms of life. And this is the reason why I have been able to write so prolifically. Something that I like very much and a craft that gives me great satisfaction.

*

Though I don’t know why the story of my “insignificant little life” should be so interesting as to have written a book about it. However, my dear wife, Marie said that it may be fascinating and inspirational to others! She also said it might HELP other people having a battle in the “game of life”.

I really don’t know about all that. I think I’m really quite an “ordinary bloke”. Anyway, whatever the “boss” says, gets done. So here is my “little” story, true “ekse”…

Table of Contents

DIARY OF A ROLLING STONE

DEDICATION:

INTRODUCTION:

SOUTH AFRICAN POLITICS:

NEXT THING and THE BIG QUESTION: WHAT TO DO WITH

MY LIFE?

THE MIDDLE YEARS EARNING A LIVING AND THE FIRST

STIRRINGS OF MY POLITICAL CONSCIENCE

THE GREATEST EVENT OF MY LIFE and

FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES

Also  THE BIRTH OF MY

POLITICISATION

“MY POLITICAL AWAKENING”

CHAPTER: THE WRITER IS BORN.

FROM MY PERSPECTIVE.

SCAM – “A PACK FULL OF LIES”

THE FINAL WORD:

APPENDICES (is that the right word?)

The various books* that Craig “felt inspired to write” (including An Open Book and Here, There and Everywhere in e-book format as well as paperback are available at:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=la_B005GGMAW4_sr?rh=i%3Abooks&field-author=Craig+Lock&sort=relevance&ie=UTF8&qid

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4  and http://goo.gl/vTpjk

All proceeds go to needy and underprivileged children –

MINE!

Don’t worry about the world ending today…

it’s already tomorrow in “little scenic and tranquil” New Zealand