#fiftieth — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

Snowbird of Paradise @[email protected] · 2025-08-10 · 03:12 UTC

Bohemian Golden Anniversary

This year, 2025, is the golden anniversary of my immigration to Canada. For fifty years I have enjoyed the opportunities, the welcome, the beautiful landscapes, and the social security that this country provides.

Image via publicdomainpictures.net

In that time I have been through a lot of changes. I got married, had two children, went back to university (twice!), changed jobs, moved often, and enjoyed personal and professional success. I initially went through a few years of homesickness for my family back in England, I have sometimes made life-changing decisions that scared me, and I have had to adjust to some unexpected events, but over all I have never regretted my move to Canada. This country and its people have been very good for me and to me.

2025 is also the golden anniversary of the rock classic Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. This song has become an anthem that blends poetry, opera, rock, pop, realism, and fantasy all in one spell-binding narrative that draws us all in. It touches on issues of minorities, sexualities, crimes, families, unconventional art, relationships and, above all, changes. Big personal and societal changes. Thunderbolt and lightning, very very frightening. That was what 1975 was like for me.

Image via easons.com

Bohemian Rhapsody in some ways underpinned the next few years of my life. It made it OK to be different, to attempt the unconventional, and to try to express my individuality while at the same time trying to fit in. There was nothing ordinary about Queen, but they strutted their stuff with confidence and originality. They called on us not only to accept their nonconformity but to celebrate it, and we did.

My own nonconformity was relatively tame. I was white and spoke English so my adjustments were minor compared to many immigrants. Even so, I was stared at for wearing short skirts and teased for my accent. My first boss called me “Bean” because the (upper class) English people he saw in films called each other “Old Bean.”

The everyday details of Canadian life, such as customs around food and drink, socializing, and so on, all took a long time for me to adjust to. I was confused to realize that men and women separated into different rooms at house parties, and I tried unsuccessfully to mix them up! I was also bewildered by ice hockey that moved much too fast for me to follow, but I did learn to ice-skate within about a year.

As I look back on the last fifty years I realize that my life has in some ways blended a lot of the themes, forms, ideas, and ideals of Bohemian Rhapsody. It has been about change, difference, and acceptance, and I am glad for all of it.

#anniversary #bohemianRhapsody #change #family #fiftieth #Friends #golden #humour #life #Migration #music #Queen #Relationships #rock #Society #travel

#anniversary #bohemianrhapsody #change #family #fiftieth #friends

Snowbird of Paradise @[email protected] · 2025-08-10 · 03:12 UTC

Bohemian Golden Anniversary

This year, 2025, is the golden anniversary of my immigration to Canada. For fifty years I have enjoyed the opportunities, the welcome, the beautiful landscapes, and the social security that this country provides.

Image via publicdomainpictures.net

In that time I have been through a lot of changes. I got married, had two children, went back to university (twice!), changed jobs, moved often, and enjoyed personal and professional success. I initially went through a few years of homesickness for my family back in England, I have sometimes made life-changing decisions that scared me, and I have had to adjust to some unexpected events, but over all I have never regretted my move to Canada. This country and its people have been very good for me and to me.

2025 is also the golden anniversary of the rock classic Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. This song has become an anthem that blends poetry, opera, rock, pop, realism, and fantasy all in one spell-binding narrative that draws us all in. It touches on issues of minorities, sexualities, crimes, families, unconventional art, relationships and, above all, changes. Big personal and societal changes. Thunderbolt and lightning, very very frightening. That was what 1975 was like for me.

Image via easons.com

Bohemian Rhapsody in some ways underpinned the next few years of my life. It made it OK to be different, to attempt the unconventional, and to try to express my individuality while at the same time trying to fit in. There was nothing ordinary about Queen, but they strutted their stuff with confidence and originality. They called on us to not only accept their nonconformity but to celebrate it, and we did.

My own nonconformity was relatively tame. I was white and spoke English so my adjustments were minor compared to many immigrants. Even so, I was stared at for wearing short skirts and teased for my accent. My first boss called me “Bean” because the (upper class) English people he saw in films called each other “Old Bean.”

The everyday details of Canadian life, such as customs around food and drink, socializing, and so on, all took a long time for me to adjust to. I was confused to realize that men and women separated into different rooms at house parties, and I tried unsuccessfully to mix them up! I was also bewildered by ice hockey that moved much too fast for me to follow, but I did learn to ice-skate within about a year.

As I look back on the last fifty years I realize that my life has in some ways blended a lot of the themes, forms, ideas, and ideals of Bohemian Rhapsody. It has been about change, difference, and acceptance, and I am glad for all of it.

#anniversary #bohemianRhapsody #change #family #fiftieth #Friends #golden #humour #Migration #Queen #Relationships #Society #travel

#travel #society #relationships #queen #migration #humour