When I was three (or at least I presume I was three – maybe I was four, but almost certainly not two) I started going to a nursery at Bradley Green in Worcestershire. I don’t think it exists anymore. There I met Peter White, who became my best friend. Although when we both left nursery at five he went to a different school to me and lived a reasonable distance away, we remained friends for many years, corresponding by letter during term time and then spending the holidays at each other’s houses. Our interests were mutual – He-man, Thunder Cats, Star Wars, Cross Bows & Catapults, Centurions (who even remembers them?) and such like. We would make costumes, write scripts and generally invent and inhabit a parallel universe in which 1980s cartoon themes would be rolled into one mass of geeky fun. And then all of a sudden it ended. I can’t quite recall when, but it must have been around the early 1990s – probably at the age of 11 or 12 or so. I have a flaky memory of the last time I stayed at his house but I don’t really recall I parting of the waves – I think it was just a case of no further action being taken and other distractions happening. And then before you know it, five years have passed, then ten, then... it’s just a memory.
Occasionally I have given this some thought (not that much in fairness) and fleetingly considered if it would be interesting to get back in touch, only to fall prey to immediate distraction. After all, how the hell do I even get in touch with someone for whom I have no address, no telephone number, no email address (email wasn’t even invented then) and to whom I have not spoken to in nearly 25 years? Thats a pretty tough assignment. Google his name? Find him on Facebook? Along with the other 1000 Peter White’s? Consider also that I can’t even recall with precision what he looks like. I can vaguely recall his appearance as a ten year old, but he is now in his thirties – he could have a beard like Gandalf or have had a sex change and look like Beyonce – it’s anyone’s guess. (I'm not actually suggesting that his has incidentally).
But enough of the defeatism. Curiosity killed the cat and I hate cats, so let’s be curious. In the spirit of re-discovery, I am going to set it as my goal to explore whether social media can help me with this quest. I don’t know where I will start, how I am going to do this, whether this is purley a monumental waste of time, or even if there was a deep underlying reason that I have since forgotten about as to why we failed to keep in touch. Hang all of that – let’s try and locate this person!
Starting now – it trends. #FindPeterWhite
Occasionally I have given this some thought (not that much in fairness) and fleetingly considered if it would be interesting to get back in touch, only to fall prey to immediate distraction. After all, how the hell do I even get in touch with someone for whom I have no address, no telephone number, no email address (email wasn’t even invented then) and to whom I have not spoken to in nearly 25 years? Thats a pretty tough assignment. Google his name? Find him on Facebook? Along with the other 1000 Peter White’s? Consider also that I can’t even recall with precision what he looks like. I can vaguely recall his appearance as a ten year old, but he is now in his thirties – he could have a beard like Gandalf or have had a sex change and look like Beyonce – it’s anyone’s guess. (I'm not actually suggesting that his has incidentally).
But enough of the defeatism. Curiosity killed the cat and I hate cats, so let’s be curious. In the spirit of re-discovery, I am going to set it as my goal to explore whether social media can help me with this quest. I don’t know where I will start, how I am going to do this, whether this is purley a monumental waste of time, or even if there was a deep underlying reason that I have since forgotten about as to why we failed to keep in touch. Hang all of that – let’s try and locate this person!
Starting now – it trends. #FindPeterWhite
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