There Certainly Was (Something About Olive)

When we think of social media, we often think of younger people. We think of people who are fully-immersed in the world of Web 2.0 — a 3G iPhone in one hand and an attitude ready to take on the world and win. But even a cursory trawl through the wonderful world of the blogosphere will show that there are many others using social media to connect with their friends and others with agile like-minds.

Last year I marvelled at the spirit of the world’s oldest blogger, Olive Riley. And while her story was mediated — discussed and typed up by someone else — Olive soon found that there was a certain pleasure in conversing with people from all over the world. Being 108 years old, Olive was able, through her blog, to share snippets of her life — reflections on her childhood as well as current realities — in a way that is often overlooked in the rush for the latest new thing. It is clear that Olive was a master storyteller — her personality, sense of humour and zest for life (even her crankiness) all coming through in each and every post.

Alas, Olive’s last blog entry has been written. Over the weekend, Olive passed away peacefully. May she rest in peace.