You Google something and it reminds you of the things you should be recording as part of your own history!

Whether we’re in denial or just very forgetful, as family and local historians the one area that we are really bad at researching … ourselves or our Societies.

We forget the things we did, the places we went, and all the things we considered a normal part of our lives and “nothing to write home about”.  The last 24 hours made my rethink some of my own “history”.  These were the two triggers:

• Inspecting the contents of the garage and the things that HAVE to go in preparation for downsizing
• A Skype call to my brother which included my great nephew and great niece [5 and 2 respectively].  Mitchell, the 5 year old, wanted his grandpa to send me his favourite Minion trailer [what’s a Minion?  I know now!] and he also has had lots of questions about me.

So I ended up Googling words like Burroughs, Unisys, CUBE, U3, and United Unisys Users.  What I had in my garage were two large wooden purpose built transportation boxes, complete with locks and handles, that contained the perpetual trophies for the best presenter at each of our Annual Conferences.  One trophy for CUBE [Co-operative Users of Burroughs Equipment] and one for its successor U3 [United Unisys Users] following the merger of Burroughs and Sperry into Unisys.

I had to chuckle when I found one article from 1989 when I had been the Australasian representative at our ICU2 foundation meeting in Bluebell, Pennsylvania, USA.  Apart from me then reminiscing on the different locations around the world where ICU2 met, it reminded me when I was told that Susie was not an acceptable name in the Corporate world!  From then on I was to be know as Susanne – the name I only ever heard when I was in trouble with my parents or teachers!

The article mentioned.

Is it any wonder that as soon as I backed out of the so-called Corporate world I quickly went back to my Comfort name – Susie?

I’ve now contacted Unisys to see if they have an Archive or Museum – I’m part of it!

Another reminder of “getting old” – my brother and I were mentioned in the Social Pages of the Manning River Times in September 1953!!!!  True!  OK – it’s not the front cover of Woman’s Day but the article said “Mr and Mrs John Fussen and children, of Chatham, who have been holidaying in the Newcastle district, returned home at the week-end.”

Thank goodness for TROVE and GOOGLE – it’s going to help me with my memory and personal history!