For the younger generation, please note - there was a time when we didn't have computers, internet, emails, Facebook, cells phones, cd's and TV's! (TV only arrived in SA during the 70's!)
BTW I did get my first PC - an Amstrad PCW in 1989! Early days, those PC's were more for programmers, the W part was for the rest of us - it stand for Word-processor. A step up from the typewriter! This PCW was actually just an 'empty brain' One had to 'load' the program needed to do anything every time you switched it on!
In 1990 I got my 'modern' PC an IBM desk top with Windows 3.1! Soon afterwards Microsoft released Win 95 - what a joy that was. Internet followed in1998 - at least for us.
Okay this wasn't supposed to be about computers ..... but it is WWW that has made a profound difference in our lives.
I am sure the younger generation will never imagine a time BI -'Before Internet.' Mind you, now that I really think about it .... I don't ever want to think about it either!
So basically what used to happen was, we communicated by snail mail and telephones. This was very very hazardous. Addresses and telephone numbers got lost. So unless the information was imprinted in your memory, it was gone. Families never got lost as their details were ingrained in one's memory, well or else you would never hear the end of it!
Advent of emails was a major blessing, if you could get the older generation to use it! Yet even those early days information got lost! One computer crash and voila, all gone! Especially for those of us conserving trees by not having hard copies! Moving mean't new email accounts as well. Now one can have an address for life and emails are stored 'somewhere out there.' Computer crashes no longer make me break out in a sweat. I had my first total wipe out in February. No fear hotmail, gmail, Facebook all there safe and sound just waiting for my return.
(I was able to save important data before reformatting and reloading the OS.)
After a few moves, from one continent to another, a few computer crashes you realize that you have lost touch with your friends.
So back to 'lost' friends. Since the advent of Facebook, slowly but surely I have been able to find many of you once again. I am not the only one who seems to enjoy this as I get 'wiser' - note I did not the use the 'o' word! Slowly but surely as memory spews out the names of the kidz of friends, so Facebook presents them to me! (If they are not on FB themselves that is!)
Recently I was found by one of my first school friends! Someone I had though about for years. It made me smile for two solid days! Last week I found another 'lost' friend, via her daughter, today I received an email from her! Now our little 'Windhoek Ramblers/Kekkel/Cooking/Party' group is almost complete - and if life so wills it, reunion next year!! After 12 years!
I am slowly reaching the end of my search now, unless demetia spews out some more names and faces.
PS. I don't every single I ever walked past in school or in my life, just those that really were friends and whom I do not wish to lose again!
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