Depression of the Site!

[Michael Alexander]

One of my partners at Spar, Arthur commented to me that this sit eworks me up, it puts me in a mood, it makes me depressed. I was aware of this , due to the fact , my wife Michele noticed this in me too over the last few months. Arthur  even commented that I'm living in the past.

Yes! I am aware of it. Did you ever get the feeling that time is running out. Did you ever wish that the day was 25hrs long and not just 24.... you need more time..... Why time? Well, it saddens me that , De Beers, in all their years could have done more for their old flagship town, Oranjemund, It saddens me that De Beers did not do more to preserve the town, they did not help to keep the Old timers here, that wanted to stay here...and by God , there was many of them... the only one's that got to stay are all buried here...

It saddens me to see, a glorious Plant shut down, a tunnel sealed up..... a hostel demolished..... I fear, that the history of the Spergebiedt and Oranjemund, is on that final path, like watching the mist swirl in and eventually covering the Yacht Club.......

The Old timers' are moving on the higher mansions above, taking those days with them.....

I guess, although I don't always want to admit it..... I am forever ..... an Oranjemunder....

:emot78:

[georg ruf jr.]

Sorry to say so Mike....
The only constant thing in life is that things change.

[Diana Rudd (Boehme)]

I think anybody from O'mund remains an O'munder at heart.  As to living in the past,I think perhaps all the memory's on the site hit you harder as you still there and can actualy see whats happening to our little town. For us its, yes, we know whats happening but we not there living it.

[SandyB]

Sadly  so  yes  change  is  one  of  the constants  in  life  .. I  have  questioned  what  am I  doing  on  the  site  sometimes ?  is  it  maybe  that  I  feel  like  a  salmon  swimming  upstream   knowing  that  the  end  is  there  at  the end of  my  journey ??   so to  make  my  journey  easier   I  am  greeting  and  re- aquainting  with  those  that  are  swimming upstream   as  well ??   comfort  and  strength  in  the  numbers  ??   excuse  the  abstract picture  but  thats  how  its  forming  in  my  mind , salmon  swimming  up  the stream   and  greeting  each other .. ....
It  can  either  get one  down   being  the  creator  of  and  so  close  to  the site  ..   or   Mike  you  can  extract  Joy  from  the fact  that  you  are  bringing a  whole lot  of  people together ... yes  even  the lurkers  and   quiet  viewers  will  eventually  come  on  board   ..  You  have  done  what   a  lot would  not  do  , so  I  think  your only  choice  is  to    try  extract  the  Joy as  a  reward of  your actions ,, it will if you  allow  it  to , outweigh   the  negatives  that you  are  experiencing  ..
One  could  almost equate    whats happening to  you as  a form of mourning   ahead  for  what is  to   happen  in  the  future ,  like  the  mourning  process   it  will have  its  up  moments  and  down  moments , all  you can  do  in  that  case  is try  to  make  the  up  moments  last  for  as  long  as  possible  and  the  downs  as  short as possible ..    hope  my  abstract  words  and  mind  pictures  help ..

[Diana Rudd (Boehme)]

     Only Sandy could have answered that post,

[georg ruf jr.]

Even my German thinking head got that Sandy.
I don't kbnow what you do all day Mike. But this site is not just the past. It's the present just as well as the future. Maybe you're not facing the changes in town. They'll catch up to you sooner than you think. I remember asking you on the job options for your kids. I must admit, I'd be very worried in a town like OM at this time. Or do women tend to believe a man must feed her. Don't know what SA mentality is like on the issue of emancipation. We tried to teach our kids to be ready for life on their own. (must admit, it's not working the way we wanted) We have 5 daughters in all. 2 have left home. The goal is having a job you can live off.

[Cherry (Alcock)]

We do teach our girl children emancipation Georg; just a pity about the glass ceiling in this country and others.  My daughter has already left for London and my son is looking to go at the end of the year.

[Michael Alexander]

Sandy...start writing a book.... While reading your words, a smile came over my face, your salmon had materialized into a barbel  swimming up the Orange river...Sorry... I get the jist of what you're saying...... and I think the site is the virtual side of Oranjemund, created, so that in a strange morbid way, Oranjemund, would never really and completely die.... the people and characters would be written down in here, on a server... but I think what does make it all the worse, is when those Advance trucks move in and the last remaining old timers depart..... we are getting thin on the ground and any newbies that turn up, in my eyes cannot be classified as Oranjemunders, they are just visiting for a short while....

I often wonder, where and when it will all end..... who will be here, what will be here.... most of you are established on the outside for a number of years, the handfull must still do that.....

I hate time.... because I don't understand it, and do not think it is fair.....   

[SandyB]

 @ Mike .. Maybe  its  the  price  one  pays  for being  a whimsical  scotsman  ( and  yes  they  can  get very whimsical   even  downright   soppy  and  emotional  when  they  have  a few  scotches   under  the  belt )   Once  again  its  the  case  of making  the   good  whimsical  moments  last  longer than  the  bad  whimsical  moments ,,
You  are what  would be  refered  to  as a  " true  sensitive "    It  has its  up sides  and downsides ..   I leave  you  to  mull on  that  one..

[Michael Alexander]

I don't know why... but I feel like bursting into a song of "Mull of Kintyre"........

[Koos]

One of my partners at Spar, Arthur commented to me that this sit eworks me up, it puts me in a mood, it makes me depressed. I was aware of this , due to the fact , my wife Michele noticed this in me too over the last few months. Arthur  even commented that I'm living in the past.

Yes! I am aware of it. Did you ever get the feeling that time is running out. Did you ever wish that the day was 25hrs long and not just 24.... you need more time..... Why time? Well, it saddens me that , De Beers, in all their years could have done more for their old flagship town, Oranjemund, It saddens me that De Beers did not do more to preserve the town, they did not help to keep the Old timers here, that wanted to stay here...and by God , there was many of them... the only one's that got to stay are all buried here...

It saddens me to see, a glorious Plant shut down, a tunnel sealed up..... a hostel demolished..... I fear, that the history of the Spergebiedt and Oranjemund, is on that final path, like watching the mist swirl in and eventually covering the Yacht Club.......

The Old timers' are moving on the higher mansions above, taking those days with them.....

I guess, although I don't always want to admit it..... I am forever ..... an Oranjemunder....

:emot78:

mayby Koos is not so small minded after all.
Mike you doing a great job.

[georg ruf jr.]

We do teach our girl children emancipation Georg; just a pity about the glass ceiling in this country and others.  My daughter has already left for London and my son is looking to go at the end of the year.

What does glass ceiling mean?

[georg ruf jr.]

Maybe Koos is just missunderstanding Michaels statement.

[SandyB]

No Jnr maybe Koos  also coming  to  the party eventually ( expressing  a  hope I am ? ) he right , Mike is doing a great Job ... but yes it can take its toll as  well . Change is indeed a difficult thing , we see it coming and as flesh and blood beings we dread it ,  when it  is  thrust upon us   we are  also  inclined to  resist it , trust me , from my  recent  experience of  loss i am  still having one  hell of a battle adjusting  to  changes in my  life .. we all wish that things could be  forever .. ( how many of  our childhood dreams of everything  being constant and  without change  have  been  dashed ?/ what  we do  is  pick ourselves up  dust off the  hurt and  continue with life )  not always easy , but  then  we  have all come so  far and managed to  grow with the change ..  and find ourselves s now  in  the present  as  reasonably  balanced beings ??

[Rhona]

First of all - get over here for a group hug   grab  (that means you too Koos). All of us get a little on the sentimental side from time to time, wondering what the hell is going on, what just happened and where will it all end up.....that my friends is called...LIFE... unfortunately we can't go back to what we once had and even if given the chance, would we really want to - yeah the times were great and the friendships were better, but if you go back, then you have to give up so much. Who here is willing to give up their partners, children and even grandchildren for the wonderfull time we all had once upon a time?

O'mund is changing - but then, so is every place in the whole wide world.......nobody likes change and the majority fear it somewhat, but there aint nothing any of us can do except take a deep breath, place a grin on our faces and go head first into the unexpected........9 times out of 10 the change isn't so bad after all.

As for feeling sad about this site and the memories - don't be, just think of all the new friends that you and all of us have made. Before I started chatting, I only knew the Alexanders, but now - I talk away to everyone and wouldn't hesitate to sit down for a drink and a chat with each and every one of you....The amount of laughs I've had since logging on and getting involved - too numerous to mention.

And this ones for you Mike........just think of all the places in the world you and your ladies can go on holidays; the door is open world wide for you guys and the beers are kept chilled........

And remember.......'Life is like a box of chocolates - you never kknow what your going to get'