Njengomntu ochithe iminyaka esebenza ngezinto ezigcinayo, ndingatsho ngokuzithemba ukuba iingqekembe zesikhumbuzo zinendawo ekhethekileyo kwihlabathi leenkumbulo ezingalibalekiyo. Nokuba ungumhambi ujonge ukuthatha eyona nto yohambo, okanye umbutho ofuna indlela eyodwa yokukhumbula isiganeko,iingqekembe zesikhumbuzonikezela ngesisombululo esingaphelelwa lixesha nesinentsingiselo. Kwihlabathi lanamhlanje, apho iinkumbulo zihlala ziphela zibe yi-digital oblivion, kukho into enamandla ngokwenene malunga nokubamba uphawu olubambekayo lomzuzu okhethekileyo.

Ndisakhumbula okokuqala ndandiyila ingqekembe yesikhumbuzo yomthengi. Yayiyeqela labahloli abanomdla ababefuna ukwenza into ekhethekileyo kuhambo lwabo lonyaka lokunyuka intaba. Abazange bafune i-t-shirts okanye iimagi eziqhelekileyo-babefuna into ekhethekileyo eyayiza kubamba ngokwenene undoqo wohambo lwabo. Emva kweengxoxo ezininzi, siye safikelela kumbono wengqekembe yesintu, ezaliswe ngoyilo oluntsonkothileyo olubonisa ubume belizwe abaloyisile. Xa ndibambe imveliso egqityiweyo esandleni sam, ndaqonda ukuba senze into engaqhelekanga. Ubunzima bengqekembe, umzobo oneenkcukacha, umyalezo owenziwe ngumntu ngasemva—konke kwadibana ukuze yenze inkumbulo eyayingeyonto nje intle, kodwa inzulu yobuqu. Lo ngumlingo weengqekembe zesikhumbuzo: zigubungela umzuzwana ngexesha, ziwuguqule ube sisikhumbuzo somzimba esinokuxatyiswa iminyaka ezayo.

Ngoku, usenokuba uyazibuza, kutheni ingqekembe? Yintoni eyenza ikhetheke ngakumbi kunezinye izikhumbuzo? Impendulo ixhomekeke kwindlela eguquguquka ngayo le ngqekembe neemvakalelo zayo. Iingqekembe zinembali ende njengeempawu zexabiso kunye nesithethe. Ukususela kumaxesha amandulo ukusa kwizikhumbuzo zale mihla, bezisetyenziswa ukuphawula iziganeko ezibalulekileyo, impumelelo neziganeko zembali. Kukho into ehloniphekileyo ngokwemvelo malunga nokufumana ingqekembe yesithethe, nokuba ngumvuzo okanye isikhumbuzo samava abalulekileyo. Kubakhenkethi, iingqekembe zesikhumbuzo zibonelela ngendlela ehlangeneyo, ehlala ixesha elide, kunye nenomtsalane wokubamba iinkumbulo kwindawo ethile okanye isiganeko. Ayithathi ndawo ininzi kwimithwalo yakho, ukanti inexabiso elikhulu leemvakalelo. Ndithethile nabathengi abaninzi abandixelela ukuba bagcina iingqekembe zabo zesikhumbuzo kwiidesika zabo okanye kwimiboniso ekhethekileyo ekhaya, besebenza njengezikhumbuzo zemihla ngemihla zohambo oludlulileyo. Ukuba ungumbutho, iingqekembe zesikhumbuzo zinika ithuba lokuphawula elikhethekileyo. Nokuba ubambe ireythi yenkampani, umsitho wesisa, okanye umnyhadala, ingqekembe yenkozo enelogo yakho kunye neenkcukacha zomsitho zinokuluphakamisa uphawu lwakho emehlweni abaphulaphuli bakho. Abantu bayakuthanda ukuqokelela eziiingqekembe zemalingenxa yokuba aziyonto nje yokuthengisa—ziinkumbulo ezihlala zihleli.

Elinye lawona mava endiwathandayo ndisebenza ngeengqekembe zesikhumbuzo yayikunye nenkampani yokuhamba egxile kukhenketho olukhokelwayo ukuya kwiimpawu zomhlaba zembali. Babefuna ukunika iindwendwe zabo into engaphezu kwencwadana eqhelekileyo okanye i-keychain. Sikunye, senze uthotho lweengqekembe zemali yesikhumbuzo, nganye kuzo inophawu olwahlukileyo abalundwendweleyo ngexesha lokhenketho. Ezi ngqekembe ziye zabetha ngokukhawuleza, iindwendwe ziqokelela imincili inkozo entsha kwindawo nganye yokumisa. Ekupheleni kokhenketho, babeneengqekembe zemali ezipheleleyo, nganye imele umzuzu okhethekileyo kuhambo lwabo. Impembelelo yezi ngqekembe yahamba ngaphaya kohambo nje olukhawulezileyo. Iindwendwe ziza kubuya kukhenketho lwexesha elizayo, zilangazelela ukugqiba ingqokelela yazo okanye zifumane ingqekembe entsha yendawo eyahlukileyo. Yayiyindlela elula kodwa esebenzayo yokuba inkampani yakhe ukunyaniseka kwaye idale iinkumbulo ezihlala zihleli kubathengi bayo. Ke, nokuba ucwangcisa uhambo lwakho olulandelayo okanye ulungiselela umsitho, qwalasela ifuthe elihlala lihleli ingqekembe yesikhumbuzo enokuba nayo. Ayiyonto nje yokukhumbula—libali, inkumbulo, kunye nonxibelelwano olubambekayo nomzuzwana obalulekileyo. Kwaye ndithembe, xa unika umntu ingqekembe eyenziwe kakuhle eyenzelwe yena, inkangeleko yokumangala kunye noxabiso ebusweni bakhe yinto ongasayi kuyilibala.