John Vanderaart Column Old comrades

I am selectively present on Facebook. That is, I mainly use Facebook to keep myself informed about things that concern the French village that I love to stay so much. You know, Chaumard in the Morvan. One of the groups that I follow is Marché du Morvan, a kind of digital local superpost with announcements. That Marché du Morvan has delivered me a plastic shopping basket – from the Boni – with special floor tiles last year.

Last week I saw an Annonce of someone whose name made a bell ringing; Somewhere deep in the cellars of my memory palace. That name brought me more than 40 years ago in time, to the age of Commodore 64 and the Commodore Amiga. That name belonged to the Commodore-Bobo, which at the time was my first point of contact and with whom I (all over the world) the necessary Developers Conferences I visited. As Americans say so nicely: “We go way back.” Where does the time go? He is now 75 and partly living in the same Morvan. About 20 kilometers away from the aforementioned Chaumard.

Without knowing it, I would have driven past his house right in front of his house at the end of December, during the drive from a visit to the town of Onlay. In the absence of attractions, they simply make their own attractions in the Morvan. In this case a village complete in the party lighting with all kinds of international setups. You have to drive there in the pitch darkness, but then you also have something. Ok, a bit something … Despite the fact that the ex-Communore boy resides 5 kilometers from On Onlay, the town and the attraction were completely unknown to him. Yes, that big is the world that is made a bit smaller thanks to Facebook. A date for a dinner has already been punctured. Very curious what remains of our magic from then …

No attraction? Then you just make one. As they did here in On Onlay. Look: “The Netherlands!”