Dear Margaret, June 2009

Dear Margaret,

I’m over the rellies! Don’t get me wrong, I love it when they visit but it is always nice to have our home back to ourselves!

We had Auntie Martha, Uncle Conrad and their 3 children, 9, 5 and 2 stay with us for the last month. They came over from the motherland and were keen to soak up some of our local culture. Every night we sat through the account of the day according to Uncle Conrad, with frequent interjections from Aunt Martha and more frequent interruptions from little Frieda (2).

I’ve got to admit they had us in fits of laughter as they relived their daily activities. If the actual events were half as colourful as Conrad’s recount it would seem that I am missing out on so much from my own backyard.

That’s the thing about one’s memory – if you can pull out the highlights and forget all the bland vanilla flavoured events then life would be so much more exciting. But we also need the low points so that we can enjoy the high points so much more.

I think that’s why Uncle Conrad’s stories are so much more entertaining than sitting through Uncle Harold’s home video… but that’s another story!

B.A.Kup

Dear B.A.,

A good recount is vitally important and while Uncle Conrad’s stories may have been interesting, I am sure that they were probably not historically accurate.

If you need a true account of recent events then the best way to record it is to make a record, like Uncle Harold’s home video. There is nothing worse than needing to recall something from the past and finding that all memories have been erased!

If you want to talk to someone about keeping an accurate record of historical data, and being able to retrieve it when you need it – talk to the lovely people at Computer Merchants.

Margaret