So long old friend

I got an e mail today that caused me to reflect. It made me think back to the first time I ever used e mail. It made me remember the friend who introduced me to a free e mail program called Juno. It made me think of what this friend and his family have meant to me. It made me think of how time keeps counting on.

Juno was a great little program. It was free. You simply called an 800 number, they sent you an installation disc, put it on your pc and you were up and running. You could compose your messages on your computer then connect to the Juno servers and have your e mail sent across the web.

My friend used Juno to keep in contact with family and friends while in seminary. For his family it was a way to stay in close contact while being away from home, living on a shoestring budget, pursuing God's calling for his life. I'm sure there are many more seminarians who've taken advantage of this great little program.

When my son died suddenly five years ago we used Juno to communicate. It was my Juno e mail account that welcomed many messages of encouragement and support in those dark days. Those messages gave me hope, they occupied my mind while the present was too dark to face. Juno was a great companion.

Over the years my Juno account has seen its share of jokes, photos, spam and of course the dreaded "chain letter." Some are keepers, some go quickly into the trash. But I'd be lying if I said there was not a little twinge of excitement when the little "dong" sounded and the flag on the mailbox went up announcing that I had mail.

Effective December first the Juno e mail service will exist only as web mail. My account, robblee@juno.com will still exist, but I'll have to access the internet to get my messages. That will lump my old friend Juno in with g mail, yahoo mail, hotmail and other free web based e mail accounts.

Nothing stays the same. I know that. But that knowledge does not stop me from missing my old pal Juno. It does serve to remind me of the blessings of the past. Blessings that exist today and in some way it offers a hope for blessings yet to come.

So long Juno.