|
I'm rapidly approaching 50, and for some reason, I find that I'm getting more and more sentimental for every year that passes. It didn't use to be like that. Don't know where it came from all of a sudden... Mid-life crisis most likely... 
In a sentimentality attack a couple of days ago, I googled my old elementary school. I lost all of the old school photos some years ago when my mom died, and I forgot to secure them from her possessions before the rest was thrown out. I'm kinda sad about that, actually.
I had hoped that it might be possible to locate some of them online. It wasn't. Instead I located an article in one of Denmarks biggest newspapers. About my old school, and how the walls had been filled with asbestos and that one of the teachers had officially been diagnosed with lung cancer because of it (and died two months later). Apparently, it was a big scandal in the Danish papers.
It was MY old class teacher. She had worked at the school for 15 years, and I attended the school as a student for 11 of those years (kindergarten included). 
Right now, I must admit that I'm quite worried, and I don't really know if I ought to go see a doctor and get a lung x-ray done. Am I too nervous? There must have been hundreds of pupils there while I attended the school, and at least 15-20 teachers. And one of them died. What are the chances that the rest of us have been affected? 
Anyway, that was only the (long) background for this post. Because of the find and my subsequent worry, I thought "Why not try to contact some of my old class mates? They might have heard something." At least, they're still in Denmark, I live in Sweden now...
I googled some of them. I didn't manage to locate my very best friend from back then. He doesn't appear to have neither FB nor anything else. But I did find some of the others (I think). It was harder than you should think, because I didn't recall the last names of all of them, and of course, the girls could have changed name by marriage. But once I found one of them on FB, most of it unravelled by itself, because a lot of them had actually kept more or less in contact throughout the years.
Today I composed a quick email to one of them whom I was good friends with (and semi-secretly had a HUGE crush on) and sent it to what I believe is her current email address.
Now I'm quite nervous. Did I find the right person? What is she going to say to being contacted by someone she knew 35 years ago and has had NO contact with since then?
What would you say? Would you be amused? Annoyed? Rather not reminded of such old misery (it was school after all)??? Should I have left bygones be bygone?
To be honest, I don't know. What do you think? What would you have done? I'm really curious to know
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
-
The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
-
I'd just like a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Me, all the time
modified 18-Mar-16 6:55am.
|
|
|
|
|
I'm going to consult the oracle and ask 'what would Bindi do?' to which the answer would be worry less!!!! Ball's in her court. What's the worst that could happen? If she minds she won't reply and a year down the track will have forgotten all about it. Nobody's gonna die or be horribly maimed. Relax. The earth will go on spinning.
I am not a number. I am a ... no, wait!
|
|
|
|
|
True. You're right! I was more curious as to what other people would say to being contacted like that. To be honest, I don't know how I would react myself. I THINK that I would be happy, but I really don't know...
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
-
The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
-
I'd just like a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Me, all the time
|
|
|
|
|
Well given that at one point I went to school with this person, I wouldn't mind someone contacting me. It would be a bit out of the ordinary, but not such a big deal. I did cut a lot of ties from my elementary school years, but I'm about halfway to my 50's and will most likely have a completely different mindset then.
|
|
|
|
|
I think that maybe you will, but it also kinda depends on whether or not you had a good time there. If you didn't, there's not much to go back for. But I had a very good time. The "not keeping in contact" thing was just something that happened, not a conscious decision on my part. Days went by, I traveled a lot and moved a lot and I simply didn't think much of it until recently.
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
-
The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
-
I'd just like a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Me, all the time
|
|
|
|
|
Well I didn't have a bad time, but it wasn't too special either.
What I was trying to say, was that even in my case, where I deliberately do not keep in contact - not as you have written, that you have drifted off, I wouldn't mind someone contacting me. It wouldn't upset me or seem weird. So I don't think you have done anything wrong.
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks! 
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
-
The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
-
I'd just like a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Me, all the time
|
|
|
|
|
I wouldn't be too concerned about the asbestos. Generally its pretty safe unless its disturbed and I grew up in an environment which was full of it. You need fairly heavy exposure I believe, and I certainly remember cutting through a massive chunk with my dad when I was a kid to make a new gasket for the boiler, with dust everywhere. We both still live. I think it's more a worry for builders etc. who get continual exposure to it.
That said, go and see a doctor and he/she will probably tell you that a scan isn't needed and put your mind at rest.
If I got an email from someone in the distant past, I'd probably just delete it - but that's me. 
Regards,
Rob Philpott.
|
|
|
|
|
Rob Philpott wrote: unless its disturbed
Ah, but that's the deal. The walls were covered with perforated asbestos sheets, and dust was constantly drizzling from them, sometimes covering the floor...
Nobody thought much of it back then. It was not until later it was discovered that asbestos could trigger cancer.
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
-
The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
-
I'd just like a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Me, all the time
modified 18-Mar-16 7:57am.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yeah, well, 15 years is definitely longer than 11 years, but not THAT much longer... ?!?!?!
EDIT: Noticed the lyrics link afterwards. Good one, I like it....
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
-
The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
-
I'd just like a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Me, all the time
|
|
|
|
|
I've listened to the song a handful of times now. Genial! Merci pour me faire connaissance de Jean-Jacques Goldman, Rage! 
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
-
The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
-
I'd just like a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Me, all the time
|
|
|
|
|
surely 'live every day as if its your last' is one motto - and 'regrets are for the things we didnt have the courage to do' is another - if its the wrong person, meh - you gave it the best shot you could - look forward, mate, not backward
|
|
|
|
|
True, you should look forward. But surely there's nothing wrong with having nice memories??? 
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
-
The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
-
I'd just like a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Me, all the time
|
|
|
|
|
Johnny J. wrote: surely there's nothing wrong with having nice memories???
no, there is not, but dont dwell on them - you cant 'go back' to that time - you can replace them with better ones though
|
|
|
|
|
As others have said, what's the worst that can happen?
And as for the asbestos, it makes a huge difference in which form it was.
If it was roof tiles or external cladding in the form of fibre cement sheets such as "Eternit" you don't need to worry, it's harmless as long as it's undisturbed and probably even when disturbed. (unless you put an angle grinder to it)
If it was used indoors as ceiling tiles and/or for acoustic damping, worry. 
|
|
|
|
|
Jörgen Andersson wrote: If it was used indoors as ceiling tiles and/or for acoustic damping, worry.
That was it!
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
-
The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
-
I'd just like a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Me, all the time
|
|
|
|
|
Oh crap!
I would make a checkup just for the peace of mind.
|
|
|
|
|
I think maybe I will, acutally. Thanks!
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
-
The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
-
I'd just like a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Me, all the time
|
|
|
|
|
Johnny J. wrote: I'm getting more and more sentimental for every year that passes. It didn't use to be like that.
So you're getting sentimental for the good old days when you weren't so sentimental? 
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
|
|
|
|
|
Yep, the good old days were much better back then! 
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
-
The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
-
I'd just like a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Me, all the time
|
|
|
|
|
I went to an all boys school. I would be somewhat taken aback if one them contacted me and said he had had a crush on me.
|
|
|
|
|
Well, you never know. But it wasn't EXACTLY what I said in the email either....
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
-
The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
-
I'd just like a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Me, all the time
|
|
|
|
|
I'm the same age as you and very well remember the elementary school I attended through the early '70s with the boiler pipes running all through the rooms. I'm sure the pipes were wrapped with asbestos which we used to pick at when bored. Remember though, we also had lead paint to deal with as well.
As for the new contact with someone from that far back, you never know. Personally, I would think it was weird, but it all depends on how close you were.
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
|
|
|
|
|
Jeeze, you're gonna need three lifetimes to gather enough man points for the karmic balance.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
|
|
|
|
General 
News 
Suggestion 
Question 
Bug 
Answer 
Joke 
Praise 
Rant 
Admin 
Submit an article or tip
