My Heroic Uncle Dove Through Dumpsters to Find It

Susie Youssef grew up as one of six sisters in a large Lebanese family, a background she often draws upon for humor and life advice. The Sydney-born comedian and actor has become a familiar face on Australian television. While Susie is the only one in her family to have turned humor into a career, comedy definitely runs in the Youssef clan. She treasures a quirky, unique object that belonged to her grandfather, which continues to bring her much laughter and joy. Here, Susie shares the stories behind a few of her most important personal belongings.

Growing up, Susie and her family would visit her grandfather’s house every Christmas. Her grandfather created a remarkable nativity scene each year, but one piece consistently stood out for its oddity. It was a donkey trinket he had picked up during his travels, and its peculiarity lay in the fact that it dispensed cigarettes from its rear end. As a child, Susie found this absolutely hilarious – twisting its tail to make a cigarette pop out was endlessly entertaining. Despite not matching the rest of the nativity set, it quickly became the item she always kept an eye on.

When her grandfather passed away, the beloved donkey was almost lost along with his belongings at the nursing home. Fortunately, her uncle rescued it from the dumpsters, and it now has a place of honor on Susie’s bookshelf. Although it’s now held together with old tape and showing signs of age, it remains her most cherished possession. The cigarette-dispensing donkey is a testament to her grandfather’s sense of humor and its unlikely role in a nativity scene is something Susie still finds amusing.

Among her most useful objects, Susie values her weighted blanket the most. Living in a house that seems to have been built without much consideration for insulation means she often feels colder inside than out. Her weighted blanket, layered on top of two other doonas, provides much-needed warmth. As someone who deals with anxiety, Susie finds that the blanket’s gentle pressure helps her breathe easier and feels soothing, especially since she is in a long-distance relationship. The weight of the blanket provides a comforting presence.

When it comes to lost items, Susie’s greatest regret involves a 1998 Filofax. Whether she genuinely lost it or one of her sisters pilfered it remains a mystery. Back in the day before smartphones, her Filofax was indispensable. It was a black, padded binder that closed with Velcro and held all her secrets and the phone numbers of everyone she knew. She used the calendar to note daily happenings, good or bad, and kept old movie tickets in its display section, making it a true time capsule. The loss of this item still tugs at her heart, as she vividly remembers saving up to buy it.

In terms of other sentimental items, Susie now has a box full of notebooks. These are filled with notes she plans to burn before she dies to ensure no one ever reads the potentially humiliating things she has penned over the years.

Source: SBS