Down memory lane

I've been meandering along long lost memory lanes lately. It started off with a message I received out of the blue from a classmate in school. Like a colourful kite it flew into my window and shook me out of my reverie. Before I knew I was revisiting places, people and incidents in my mind. But the outcome's not always been a joy ride. First and foremost is the fact that I've realised I dont have a good memory. It's all foggy and misty, like an old sepia print photograph at the bottom of my parent's trunk. (NO- it hasnt been that long...!) My dad can remember his schooldays and his buddies with better ease. So maybe I didnt have the memorex syrup which Vishy Anand sells! Whatever it is- it's extremely frustrating. With 21st century search engines you would think that tracing old school pals would be a cake walk but frankly I've come up with very little so far. I realise that to get search engines to work smartly for you, you need to feed it smart clues. That i cant do. I know only first names of my friends(I've callously forgotten most surnames) and have no clue of where the person lives right now. Therefore what i usually get is a message like 'no such person exists' or 'search unsuccessful' and 'try blah blah blah'. Thank you very much.
I have another idea. I think most of my childhood friends are not into FB and social networking. Perhaps they have achieved fame and success and live like recluses in the Himalayas. Or they've changed their name and identity and have buried their past. Or better still they're like me- technologically challenged but too proud to acknowledge it. Whatever the reason, the bottomline is that for a while my hopes were raised. Each of us wants to hold on to our childhood. They might not have been happy but with time they begin to look like the best years of our lives. And childhood friends always share that special bond which can never really be replicated when you are grown up. No wonder then the world over alumnis and old students' gathering are such a hit. People travel continents just to be with their classmates and relive the joys once again. The sheer unadulterated heartfelt pleasure of being with a friend. Here's to school buddies everywhere and especially to my reclusive batch wherever you are: One hearty back slap!