I have changed schools more than five times and was not an active student. Very quiet, shy and always out of trouble. This was good at that time for me. True for others too. But looking back now I am wondering if it was worth. Should I have made more effort at school to be recognised, more noticeable and should I have at least taken an extra effort making friends or at least knowing all my classmates.

Now after school and college, working and trying to remember my friends has been quite difficult. I was born when the telephone was still a luxury and the internet unknown. We did not have the technology we have today. Today kids are already born into the future. Before giving a name, people check if there is a domain available. There is an email ID created. The addresses no longer are the house ones but rather the email addresses! Quite often I wonder where this would all go to. The world is never full of surprises! Just when we think this is the invention of the century, there comes another.

Back to the point. Basically I am not a people guy as mentioned earlier, so getting people to know me was unimaginable. People can be with me for 2 years and still not recognise me! Names are an issue. If I can’t remember the faces what about the name? No way!

Recently I have been trying to find friends from the first school till the last job. The friends after the internet arrived is easy to find if I know the name. But the tough part is when there was none. I studied in Ooty at Laidlaw Memorial School/St. George’s, Ketti 643215. This was a very good school and today the students are placed all over the world in good jobs. I was there for 4 years and I can hardly remember a bunch of students. Finding then becomes even more difficult because it is harder to recognise them now.Very few incidents I can remember to link my friends or classmates. It’s more than 20 years now. Many have their children in that school now! First finding out who studied there with me and then getting their address etc is a big pain.

Fortunately Facebook has helped immensely in tracing a few friends. I have around 6 from St. George’s Homes. But none are active. Seems all are old school and not willing to use the latest in technology. Facebook has brought lost friends together. In the Us and many countries our school association has grown strong, thanks to all the Social Networking websites like Facebook, Orkut, LinkedIn etc. This community has become so strong as to have an immense helping hand to those who need help. People seeking new jobs, relocation, finding spouses, getting school admission, etc.

Facebook – Laidlaw Memorial School – http://www.facebook.com/Group
Laidlaw Memorial School Fan Page – http://www.facebook.com/FanPage
Old Georgian Website – http://www.oldgeorgians.com/

If anyone does belong/studied in St. George’s Homes, Ketti, please register here. Friends you thought were lost will be there.

Here is how you can try to find someone.
1. Try to google him/her. Use search terms along with names, like name, where he studied, worked etc. Chances are he would be linked somewhere.
2. Check your Friends friend list in Facebook etc. Many a times you will find a lot there.
3. Register in your school/college Alumni website.
4. Make youself searchable. ie. Put as many contact details as possible in Social Networking websites, so that your name pops up when searched in Google , Bing, Yahoo etc.
5. Create Blogs or websites with your details. Blogs help a lot. Write about you school, college or place of work, so that people searching for that find your Blog.

These are some of the ways you can get in touch. There would be many more better ways. The point is to get in touch with lost friends.

St. Michael’s Academy, Chennai – http://www.facebook.com/Group 1
St. Michael’s Academy, Chennai – http://www.facebook.com/Group 2

If you have come here and looking for lost friends, write about it in the comments. Maybe someone will see it and contact you.

All the best. Happy searching!

It was a reminder for me today about friends. We take for granted nearly all things that we have by default. Our family, work, friends etc. Although family in top priority I wont be talking on that.

Friends!

We all have friends one time or the other throughout our lives. Some we have for a few days perhaps and some for a lifetime. We remember some old friends when we were in our young school days. Most of these lasted till we left that particular school. At that time, when we thought that they were our best and closest friend, exist no more! A few who we never imagined to be our best pals are the ones still with us and seem inseparable!

We all need friends and so should you be one. For good times and bad, they are the ones we celebrate with. A shoulder to cry on when we have lost a loved one, a pet, when hurt, when the world seems to be against us. To celebrate a victory, a birthday, new job, new life, a promotion.

In every step of our lives only friends help us through most of the time.

I am trying to search for all friends I have known when I was in school and college. Back then there was no Facebook or Orkut or any other socializing networks. Luckily I have found many, thanks to these websites and Google.

Look back into your life and remember the friends you had and the good times or bad you had together and reminiscence those moments. Find your lost friend. Thank your friends for all they have done. Life is short and we should not forget to thank those who were with us in sorrow and joy.

This is a lovely song and is a tribute to all my friends.

That’s What Friends Are For Lyrics
song performed by Dionne Warwick in the album Dionne Warwick – Greatest Hits (1979-1990)

And I never thought I’d feel this way
And as far as I’m concerned
I’m glad I got the chance to say
That I do believe I love you

And if I should ever go away
Well then close your eyes and try
To feel the way we do today
And then if you can remember

**
Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure
That’s what friends are for
For/In good times and/in bad times
I’ll be on your side forever more
That’s what friends are for

Well you came and opened me
And now there’s so much more I see
And so by the way I thank you

And then for the times when we’re apart
Well then close your eyes and know
These words are coming from my hearts
And then if you can remember

** Repeat three times