Finding an old friend on the Internet
Some 35 yrs ago, I returned from a country, now changed greatly, Rhodesia, for my wedding in Ireland.
I brought a friend, Colin, with whom I had shared an apartment, a few pints, etc
Colin originally from London, had lived in Zambia, and Rhodesia, for many years.
After the wedding he returned to Salisbury, in an era just prior to the birth of Zimbabwe.
He has served for a few years in the Rhodesian army, and obviously was considering his future, post Independence.
He wrote a few letters but after 2 yrs, nothing.
In 1997, I started posting a few messages, on sites designed to re-unite friends, and after a couple of posts, got a message from a couple in New Zealand, who thought they knew Colin.
We exchanged information and confirmed it was the same person, and they told me he was married to Marguerite, and had two daughters.
He had worked for a few years in Mozambique, in England, and had returned to South Africa, but the information ceased there, and they had no idea of his present location.
So I posted more messages on re-unite type sites, including the name of his wife, but nothing.
Google searches, were no help, as it kept coming up with quotes from ''Colin Powell''
Recently I returned to the search, and this time did a google search on '' Marguerite and Colin''
This turned up a profile, on a South African Estate Agent Web-site of one of their negotiators.
As I read the profile, the co-incidences were immediate.
She had lived in Zambia, Zimbabwe, London and South Africa, and was married to ''Colin''
Was this the guy I had scoured the Internet for 20 yrs to trace.
So a polite e-mail to Marguerite, stating that I was trying to track down a Colin, some details of how I knew him, and an apology if I was intruding.
2 Hours later a reply, Yes its the same guy, he had often referred to our friendship, and my wedding, and she would pass on my e-mail address to him
Later that evening a message, from him, amazed that I had made contact, and starting a conversation that I hope over the months will bring us both up tp date on each others lives.
So if there is a lesson in this, its perseverance, the power of the Internet, the strength of Google, and never give up the search.
So I hope this tale will inspire someone, to retry that search for an old friend,
you never know..
