Computers, People and Other Broken Things
Today as I was wrapping up work on my computer, I closed down the laptop, stood up and began walking across the room. That's when it happened.
I felt myself trip slightly and then, behind me, heard a large, earth-shattering, stomach-turning CRASH! For a moment, I couldn't bring myself to look back because I knew exactly what I had done. Finally, I turned around and looked down to see my laptop lying severely wounded on the floor. As I lifted it up and turned it over, my worse fears were realized...the screen was completely smashed. My heart sank. After a moment of letting what had just happened sink in, I tried to determine, through the little triangle of screen that was still intact, whether or not the internal components were damaged as well. Fortunately, it seemed to be functioning OK (I'm using my wife's laptop, in case you're wondering).
I suspect as I described that, some of you cringed as you thought of what it would be like to lose your computer like that, sort of the way your head hurts when you see someone else get a bad lick on the head (or if you watch those skateboarders sliding down railings and slip off...Yikes!).
It's amazing how we come to depend on these things, isn't it? Then of course, is the expense of getting them fixed. Fortunately, my brilliant wife added our computers onto our home insurance policy not long ago, so it will get fixed after our deductible is met. Nevertheless, it's going to be quite inconvenient for a while and still pretty expensive.
You know what, though? It's a machine. It's just a thing...a very expensive thing, mind you, but it's still just a thing. How easy it is to allow stuff to cause us to lose perspective. It's amazing how we get upset over things so temporary like broken computers but care so little about really important stuff like broken people and the multitude of needs crying out for attention all around us (and I count myself among the convicted). How shallow can we possibly be?
Much like my laptop, it just doesn't compute.
I felt myself trip slightly and then, behind me, heard a large, earth-shattering, stomach-turning CRASH! For a moment, I couldn't bring myself to look back because I knew exactly what I had done. Finally, I turned around and looked down to see my laptop lying severely wounded on the floor. As I lifted it up and turned it over, my worse fears were realized...the screen was completely smashed. My heart sank. After a moment of letting what had just happened sink in, I tried to determine, through the little triangle of screen that was still intact, whether or not the internal components were damaged as well. Fortunately, it seemed to be functioning OK (I'm using my wife's laptop, in case you're wondering).
I suspect as I described that, some of you cringed as you thought of what it would be like to lose your computer like that, sort of the way your head hurts when you see someone else get a bad lick on the head (or if you watch those skateboarders sliding down railings and slip off...Yikes!).
It's amazing how we come to depend on these things, isn't it? Then of course, is the expense of getting them fixed. Fortunately, my brilliant wife added our computers onto our home insurance policy not long ago, so it will get fixed after our deductible is met. Nevertheless, it's going to be quite inconvenient for a while and still pretty expensive.
You know what, though? It's a machine. It's just a thing...a very expensive thing, mind you, but it's still just a thing. How easy it is to allow stuff to cause us to lose perspective. It's amazing how we get upset over things so temporary like broken computers but care so little about really important stuff like broken people and the multitude of needs crying out for attention all around us (and I count myself among the convicted). How shallow can we possibly be?
Much like my laptop, it just doesn't compute.
Labels: David C. Price
posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 12/02/2005 12:00:00 AM
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4 Comments:
Sorry to hear about your laptop.
Until you are able to get it fixed, unless your laptop is very, very new you should have a monitor out on the laptop and can then attach a regular PC monitor to it.
That obviously takes the portablity out of it, but it would work for home use until repaired. Or to at the very least back it up to CD or DVD incase the internal workings do die between now and when you are able to repair it.
Thanks for the advice, Keith. Yes, I am planning on hooking up my desktop monitor so I can back everything up when I get home. The inconvenience is not being able to access my files while on the road. I think I'll survive, though. :-)
My insurance will cover the repair...after I pay a $500 deductible! Ouch! Oh, well...things happen.
Great closing on the post David. Coming from a currently broken person going through a tough situation, yes the things that we think are important but are more a convenience than actually neccessary are put in perspective in the light of more pressing and important matters.
Yes, wonderful post. It does put things in perspective. There is no value on human suffering - money can't fix humans.
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