Tuesday, October 21, 2008

SPEEDING TO LOVED ONES

Old Trunks reviewed V Mail from WWII in mid April of this year. The essays talked about how the mail was censored, photographed unto microfilm, sent from Europe on film, printed and delivered to loved ones. This process was considered speedy. For the time, it was the most efficient way.

In the late fifties, mother wrapped my brother's birthday cake, put it in a tin container, stuffed the box with newspaper and sent it right after labor day for him to receive it by mid-October for his birthday. The cake was crumbles but the paper was enjoyed.

Calls of any length to Germany at night rates were still greater than $100.00.

Now, again I say huzzah for the Internet. How else would one communicate with service people one knows fighting or a nurse in Africa working with Doctors Without Borders. It isn't that these are two special people are related, although we have become friends after the ___by marriage clause is long past.

When the nurse talked about a varmint crawling under her skin and laying eggs, how can a person in North Dakota understand that? With pictures of course. And how can I say to her how beautiful the fall leaves are in this part of the country? Pictures, of course.

And when the man in the service wants to share the critter that was in his tent, he sends a picture of a nasty looking bite you bug that we certainly do not have in this part of the country!

Maybe you are on Facebook and these special folks are on your friend's list. Or you have others who are abroad. Maybe you have children on it and in their busy lives, they talk to you on Facebook because it is quick and they are there.

Someone asked me recently if Facebook was for old people. Well, it is an everyone site. It is a speedy way to say hello to your favorite librarian who moved away, a nurse in Africa, and lots of other special people.

The person who asked me has two children in the 'club'. They may have told her it was NOT FOR OLD PEOPLE. Her daughter was over 500 friends listed, brother trails with a mere 380. Isn't that something?

For now, I just got an invite to be some one's friend. I am off to visit with her. By the way, she is near fifty.

Speeding to loved ones.

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