Have you ever wondered how the term “Chamber Music” came to be used? Read on and I’ll tell you . . . .
I was four and a half year old, and shortly after my appendectomy, I inadvertently caused some more consternation for my parents. Somehow I managed to swallow a 5 Mark coin. It had a lot of value then and was about the size of our 50-cent coin. The doctor was called, but it was decided not to send me to the hospital since the object was round and I had no discomfort.
However, my mother closely watched me. Castor oil, that purgative lubricant that makes ‘things run smoothly’ was administered and I was under strict instructions not to go to the toilet when nature called. Instead, I had to sit on what was then the fashionable standard bedroom equipment – the chamber pot.
Of course, my parents were anxious to get their money back and, at the same time were naturally concerned about the piece of ‘hardware’ circulating around my intestines, and the possibility of causing me injury. For nearly two days, then, when nature commanded, I had to sit on my ‘throne’ to do my business. Then my mother, in the hope of getting her money back, closely examined the outcome.
Halfway through the second day, I felt the urge to sit on my ‘royal seat’ again. My mother stood nearby listening carefully. All of a sudden, a clanging noise was heard originating from the nether regions of the chamber pot. This was real ‘chamber music’ to my mother’s ear as it indicated to her that ‘the penny had finally dropped’. But for my mother the worst was still to come – separating the real money from my ‘deposit’ and putting it back into circulation again. And that is how the term “Chamber Music” was to be coined.
The moral of the story is:
Never put money in your mouth – you never know where it has been, or where it has come from.
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My thought for today. – Werner
Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes. - Oscar Wilde
5 comments:
That was a real cracker, Werner, and superbly written. It really tickled my risible nerve. Thank for sharing this.
I had a good chuckle about your Chamber Pot story, Werner!
That was hilarious, for the whole family. Thank you, Werner, for putting a smile on our collective faces. It was also a lesson for my young boy not to put coins into his mouth.
I just want to tell you how much I like your postings, especially your stories from your life – they are absolutely superb. You are a good story teller, and you should put them all into a book. Your extended families must be very proud of you to read about your youth growing up in Germany, and you and your wife’s trials and tribulations in Australia. From what I have read, you have totally integrated and assimilated in the Australian community and our way of life. The “Chamber Music” post provided us with a good laugh, and your “dry humour” made this “embarrassing” episode a real classic and easy to read. Congratulations, you are a True Blue Aussie.
Funny story re Chamber Music. I enjoy reading your blog.
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