Unfortunately, the only way they could save my day was to pry my laptop, blue screen and all, from my fingers, and ship it off to the manufacturer with the promise that as long as the crash was not caused by a virus, the fix would be free of charge. Great!
"And, by the way, it will take about three weeks, " said the young girl behind the counter as she whisked my computer off to the back room.
As I walked out of Best Buy, I wondered what I was going to do with all that time.
Until these past few weeks, I never realized how much time my computer sucks from my day and how much I rely on it to feel productive.
I could have reverted to my desktop. After all, it has the potential: most of my files that I use daily are there and it is hard-wired to the Internet so I don't have to deal with the WiFi, which at times can be a hassle. But, here again, technology has me by the shorthairs. Via my laptop, I have become accustomed to getting things done quickly, and from any room in my house (even the bathroom, I dare say) at any time. Sitting at my desktop -relegated to one venue with only one view and operating an antiquated system utilizing a hard drive with limited space and roving spam - seems so limiting to me now after the freedom afforded by my laptop.
And, like I mentioned, the view from my laptop offers more variety and comfort, with views of the pool, or the TV, and sitting in bed or on the couch.
I opted for waiting for my laptop. And....
...basically, I did nothing productive:
- I did not update my blog (gee, did you notice?)
- I did not work on my book or any of my stories
- I did not research grant information
- I did not work on my estimated corporate taxes
- I did not order new ski gear for my upcoming trip
- I did not order refills for my animals' flea meds
- I did not post my status on Facebook
Excuses, excuses. Say it, I know you want to....just quit whining.
That said, however, one big advantage was that I did not waste time surfing the internet, as I am wont to do in between items on my usual to-do list. This can be as much of a time-sucker as not having the computer. Laundry can be done tomorrow, or the next day, and don't worry about emptying the dishwasher or even cleaning the sink out. Clean windows, forget about it.
It can all wait.
I did do sorted other things, no less unproductive in many peoples' eyes:
- I spent more time sleeping, both after the kids went to school and midday napping (ssshhh...don't tell the kids!)
- I spent more time studying the Bible
- I spent more time (not alot!) cleaning
- I spent more time thinking
- I spent more time working out and exercising with a clean conscience
...did I mention sleeping already? I think I did way too much of that.
Now that I have my laptop back, I am faced with re-loading my software. This has become a whole other battle, which will consume time, and thoughts, and not a little mental energy. And, it will most likely re-chain me.
Bottom line to all of this is I love technology because it makes my life more fluid. Dare I say, easier...
...to try to cram too much in, to be over-productive, to lose touch with many of the things that ground us to who we are and what our purpose is. The time on the computer, even on the phone, not only supports us losing touch with ourselves, but actively pushes us farther and farther away from many of the things that are important to solid mental health, to well-being. The computer can lure us away from rest, from thought, and from meditation.
I will try to maintain some of the extra rest I have had over the past two weeks. But, I can guarantee that the whisper and moan of my laptop will eventually overwhelm me and will lure me back...
...as it is doing now. Past my bedtime and still typing....tsk, tsk, tsk.
Give your laptop a hug from me. I'm pretty sure I would lose my mind w/o my laptop although when on vacation I have managed a whopping 5 days without it. Oh and napping.. it's a wonderful thing that I wish I did more of. ;)
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