There Is "A Jungle Telegraph" Out There

      From late 1982 to early 1984, I lived in a charming small village of 15,000 that sits on the Indian Ocean. It is Albany, West Australia. At that time in my life, I was "broke and down on my luck." I didn't even own a car. I had a small black and white portable TV. I lived in a tiny room. My main pastime was going to the library and reading books. I started to really enjoy African adventure novels by a South African author named Wilbur Smith (over 100 million books sold in many different languages.) One of his books really caught my attention. It was titled "Rage." It was about the plight of an average white South African family living through Apartheid.

       I wrote a letter to Mr. Smith in care of his publisher in London. I asked him what the future of South Africa would be. Was a peaceful transition to an all-race democracy possible? At worst I expected no response. At best I expected a dull form letter thanking me for my interest.           

     Some weeks later when I went to my post office box, there was a note there. It asked me to see the postmaster. I went to the postmaster's office. He was holding a letter. The return address indicated Wilbur Smith and a post office box in Cape Town. I opened the letter that was handwritten. Mr. Smith said that he had no plans to move out of Cape Town. He saw a peaceful transition to an all-race democracy. I showed the contents of the letter to the postmaster. For the rest of that day, people came up to me and talked about the letter that I had received from Wilbur Smith. News indeed did travel fast.

    Yesterday morning after an appointment with my eye doctor, I went to the post office. A large brown envelope was in my post office box. I opened it. The was an Explore Mars, Inc, lapel pin mounted on a stiff board. Dr. Sian Proctor's autograph was there as well as the appropriate certifications. I had a pin that had spent 3 days 300 miles above the earth. I took it to my picture framer Tyrell. He designed an excellent display for Elena and me. My next stop was the swimming pool. One of my "swim buddies" shook my hand. He congratulated me on receiving the lapel pin that had spent 3 days in orbit. Two other "swim buddies" congratulated me.

    There is "a jungle telegraph" out there. News does travel fast.