Memories of South West Africa

I received an order for products last night from a Toastmaster in Namibia. Wow!! Instantly it brought back memories of the times I spent in what was South West Africa in 1980. The searing heat in the semi-desert, the sun bouncing off the white sand roads making it hard to see sometimes while driving. The wild game in the Etosha game park and the beauty of the semi-desert in Northern Namibia. If you spent any time in the South African Defense Force around 1887 you will probably recall what we were doing in South West Africa and have similar stories to share.

Two things struck me at once. Firstly, how quickly our minds can recall events from 20 years ago. Instantly I was transformed to a place roughly half-way around the world, to the late 1980's. Amazing to say the least that we have remarkable bodies. In Connecticut, USA I can feel the heat of the South West African sun from 20 years ago.

Secondly, how much less pressure we had back then. We seemed to do one thing at a time, and some tasks were OK to take a week or two to complete. I was a Vehicle Fitter back in 1988 and we could easily take a week off a task to practise for a military parade. Now, as eCommerce Project Manager, it seems that if I am not on the phone in a teleconference call, answering emails and chasing down a project delirable at the same time, then something is wrong. I wondered if I would be able to adjust to that slow lifestyle again, if the situation arose.

Ahhh!! So many stories come to mind about adventures in South West Africa in the late 1980's. I won't try to put them all on this blog.

But please post comments on your experiences. Were you in the South African Defense Force in the 1980's? Do you live in Namibia now, and speak at Toastmasters? Share your experiences of how vivid memories can instantly flash back after decades.