Fred Gillespie’s life, tracing back to South African settler heritage, was marked by significant personal transitions.
He formed multiple family connections, including two marriages and subsequent partnerships, resulting in five children.
His journey spanned various locations across South Africa, from Kimberley, Swaziland to Namibia, before his passing in Mtubatuba. in 1994.
Physical comedy: still on point after 80. Despair: rising with forgotten faces. Farewell: deep and sore. Alida Johanna van Blommestein was a woman of strength, quirks, excess mother-love, and a strange, long-lasting fling with Spice Girl platforms. Quad-bike accidents after sixty, ice cube dining, taxi extravagance, and an unyielding passion for berry farm cheesecakes. Pietersburg 1938-10-05 — Parys 2022-06-06. Over and out. Always remembered, always loved, miss you daily, Mom.
Tom Gillespie, fifth among eight siblings, was born in 1907 in Oudtshoorn, South Africa.
After initially embracing barber-hood, military life caught his fancy. He served, got married, cut hair, served again, then settled in Kimberley.
In 1947, at only 40, he concluded his life’s whirlwind adventure, leaving a legacy of an absent father and husband, despite the merits earned in his military career.
Life during pandemic times: A tumultuous blend of constant travel, vanishing job offers, and precariously teetering freelance work. But wait, it’s not all gloom! Sprinkle in a chaos-induced family reunion after 40 years, the stressful soothing of a stressed mum in isolation, and a stubbornly elusive passport from Namibia. Who says variety is dead?
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Embracing Diversity: Out Of The LGBT+ Closet
I remember the awkward moment when I came out to my mom during another potential introduction to another female friend. Mustering up courage, I blurted out, “Mom, I’m gay.” Her response? “Well, that’s certainly a unique choice.” I could practically hear the crickets chirping in the background, briefly.
Growing up closeted, embracing diversity was a challenge. I felt isolated and alone, struggling to reconcile my true self with societal expectations.
Coming out was a daunting step, but finding acceptance within the LGBTQ+ community and eventually within my family was incredibly rewarding. It was a long journey, It remains a never-ending one. One slip can terminate all that LGBT freedom that was fought for.