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CAUGHT IN THE NET

It was 2005 and I had resisted temptation for as long as possible, knowing that my writing would most likely suffer if I became an Internet subscriber. But the kids kept nagging me and I eventually succumbed, reasoning that I hadn't managed to do any writing anyway, Internet or not.I frequently suffered from Scrivener's Palsy, a dreadful affliction peculiar to writers -more commonly known as Writer's Block.

I've always had a built-in resistance to change and by 2005 I was still writing with my rusty but trusty Amiga computer which was brand new when I purchased it back in 1991 (it may well be the only one still in existence, the rest of its kind most likely consigned to landfill long ago.)I was loath to get rid of anything useful and it was still good for writing poetry, articles, short stories etc. (not to mention the very occasional novel).

I did have a bang up to date PC but the problem with that was in actually gaining access to it. At that time my ex husband was trying to sell his entire model railway collection on E bay, my two sons had signed up to interactive Star Wars games and my two teenage daughters were eagerly sending instant messages to their increasing collection of contacts round the globe. They even had their own web sites. Did I stand a chance? I wondered. No, but I had a solution... if the ancient Amiga packed up I would take myself along to Dixons and treat myself to a brand new laptop.

But before that I could still become au fait with the workings of the Internet while the kids were at school and hubby was at work. What greater distraction could there be from doing mundane tasks round the home now I had this new toy? Let the dishes mount up and the ironing wait for I was surfing the net.

What fun!I could type in any postcode and sneakily find out what the neighbours paid for their house. I could discover anything about anyone. Daunting, frightening even - I could now dig up the past relentlessly if I wished.

I wondered what had happened to that doctor I was dating at the same time I met my husband? I typed in his name... Wow! I couldn't believe it there was a photo of him here...

yes that's him, I thought, look at all those letters after his name! Well, he may be an eminent surgeon now with his very own private clinic but he hasn't discovered a cure for baldness yet that's for sure - he was bald when I knew him back in the early eighties. Blimey... look at all those medical books he's written specialising in heart surgery...

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