From the desert of California...

To digress a little...The year was 2001. I was then living in New Haven, Connecticut, US. It is just about one and half hour’s commuter ride to New York. It was a period before facebook or Blogging. To write and post in the Internet one had to be savvy in IT by creating a web page on your own. Being from the era of the cave I am simply useless in that. Yet with Window, it is the beginning of the new era of the Internet when one could surf the net using the Dial Up system. Dial Up system was godsend when Broadband was yet to be heard. It was indeed wonderful to be able to use the computer in a way that you would not have dream of doing. Getting into another world that we now took for granted, cybersphere. As a person who loves new technology I was as excited with this new toy, the computer that I got introduced in the mid eighties.

While living in New Haven I began to use the Internet more and more, surfing and writing email. There was no way of communicating with people you do not know or do not have email address. It was in a way frustrating and then I found a way on AOL. I was then using an AOL account and AOL has introduce sort of a Bulletin Board where one could post message and hope to get some attention. So I thought that I shall try by posting my email address just to make friends with strangers on the net. Soon I began to get reply from those who want to exchange note via email and one such person is this lady from the desert of California, Mary Shaw. A lady who in the hay days of her youth roamed Europe and the East where her parent was on official duties; that eventually brought her to Penang then the Pearl of the Orient. It was real nice to get to know such person who had been to the East in those days, when I believe only Steam ship ply the route. Soon we began exchanging notes on various subjects and personal information via email and at one time when my daughter returned to the US, I send her a package which did arrived perfect to her home in the desert of California. So we kept emailing each other and became cyberpal and enjoying the cyber relationship. I was hopping that eventually I would meet her in person but then she suddenly disappeared from the radar screen. I wrote a few times but in vain, still hopping for the best I just took it easy, with memories still lingering in my mind.

And guessed what! a few days ago I got an email from her. A surprise indeed. It was just a short mail and I replied quickly and then she replied and explains of the why she was not being able to communicate all the while. It was sort of a lost and found story. In this case I found her again or rather she found me again. Her latest note is so beautiful and touching that I felt it worth sharing with all. From the tone of her writing it shows that she is still as fit as a fiddle and healthy as ever. I am sharing this beautiful mail from Mary for all. This is part of that beautiful piece of notes: -

"....Thank you for remembering me.

My long silence was due to Leo taking seriously ill and commanding all my attention. He passed away on August 2, 2008. I am still in the desert of Palm Springs but planning to move. Since I will be 81 on the first of November, I am giving some thought to moving in with my son who lives in Columbus, Georgia. I'm just not sure WHAT I'm going to do. There is so much to do here before I make that decision.

Yes, I read on the blog that you were in the US. I am so sorry that I missed you. Let us not lose touch again. Warmly, "

Folks in their golden age would agree with me that this letter sound familiar indeed. It is about the core of living and the beauty of life. It also show how remarkable this friend of mine is. Indeed a woman of substance. As for me getting reconnected again continue to makes living so wonderfully colorful. Of course the arrival of that notes does make my day.

Getting old has its up and down but then that is the nature of every species, some stay longer while some just had to go first not according to one's biological age but by a system that we are yet to know. That is why I kept reminding everyone that we should enjoy every minutes of living on this beautiful planet of ours.

The above image shows Mary Shaw with Leo some years ago in their best mood. May Leo rest in peace. Amen.

Have a nice day.