MY TWO WORLDS
Since the first day I jumped onto a computer with fear and in trepidation, I was told that it would make my life so much easier. Just who the heck was the clown that started this rumor? This invention of the 20th century has made my life a living hell. I’ve learned that it does not cut down on paperwork. On the contrary, you have to document everything on this darn contraption because every time it crashes, you cannot find any of your precious world of documents unless you are a millionaire who can afford to turn the machine over to the Geek Brains to find all of the bits and bytes hidden in na na land.
Through the years I have slowly lost so much of my life. I’m sure it is just like living through a hurricane [that I’ve done too, along with a couple of typhoons and earthquakes in the Pacific.] It no long is a matter of how long computer printed pictures will last if they are not printed by Kodak. No, one just learns to adjust to reality. And don’t start on the “do a save every day” as the solution to computer life reality. It turns out to have just as many pitfalls as crashes.
This month has been the worst I’ve endured since entering the electronic world. Two crashes in less than a month! No human being should have to endure this evil event. I could write a whole book about the painful and sadistic twists and turns I have endured. I am a writer. I take pride in my craft – more so in the business end than the personal end. So much of that documentation was ‘me’ and it told about who I am. It is the same as pictures. But now, pieces of me are scattered in space – electronic space – never to be heard from again.
Then there is the matter of email! Don’t get me started on that madness. If you rely on it for daily communication with people that are important to you, when you loose it, you suddenly find yourself alone in the world. There are only two choices – you either wait until you hear from someone again or you spend hours and days trying to locate that person. I did just that this month. I desperately needed to find a friend for some important information. My defunct computer coughed up an email address for her but it was ages and ages old. She had changed her address several times before my computer crashed. But I was encouraged that finding her would be a piece of cake. She had a business. I knew what it was so it was a source to search for. She, like myself, was into dogs big time – AKC etc. so I figured I could find her through breed. She was into gardening. That was how I met her on the Internet so I thought I might be able to do it again. I tried everything but nothing worked. Then, one day when I turned on my computer – there she was! An email had followed my computer crashes. I was so excited. I finally found one of my friends. I was positively giddy. I wrote back and told her my story. It was quite a reunion.
But that doesn’t happen with all lost addresses. What bothers me the most are the email files with serious data in them. Some form the backbone of my writing. Some files have pictures and information about the family etc. So many things are lost and never recovered. I don’t have a lot of time left in my life to reconstruct the bits and bytes of my life.
Then there are the problems with software packages, upgrades and many other problems that deal with the hardware/software which cause more headaches than one person can effectively deal with. So, I am seriously considering the rebirth of the electric typewriter. I have a very close friend that refuses to use a computer. She writes postcards and old fashioned notes. I chastise her when I have to race out to meet the mailman or I’m out of stamps. But I don’t have to turn on a machine to go back and read her notes and look at the beautiful pictures she takes on attaches to the front of the postcards. I can see them anytime. I can put them up on my office board and look at them daily. They bring a smile to my face and memories of our years of friendship. While I do admit to loving the ability to search for instant answers to urgent problems via Google, I still enjoy picking up one of our old encyclopedia books and stopping along the way to read interesting sections. The same can be said for cookbooks. When I’m out of ideas for dinner, there is no better place than the Internet for instant ideas, recipes, and help. But there is nothing more satisfying than to curl up with one of my many, many cookbooks for inspiration and learning.
So I am caught between two worlds – the old one I grew up in and spent the best days of my life, and the new, electronic marvel I’m forced to tolerate and use on a daily basis for business and pleasure. I sigh and try to convince myself that I have the best of both worlds, but sometimes I’m not so sure. The best part of my world is my life with dogs. They keep me humble, balanced, and in touch with my true, inner self. There is nothing better for my health and happiness than having my four-legged canine companions next to me. It’s the very best world of all. [Stay tuned for Part Two]
Through the years I have slowly lost so much of my life. I’m sure it is just like living through a hurricane [that I’ve done too, along with a couple of typhoons and earthquakes in the Pacific.] It no long is a matter of how long computer printed pictures will last if they are not printed by Kodak. No, one just learns to adjust to reality. And don’t start on the “do a save every day” as the solution to computer life reality. It turns out to have just as many pitfalls as crashes.
This month has been the worst I’ve endured since entering the electronic world. Two crashes in less than a month! No human being should have to endure this evil event. I could write a whole book about the painful and sadistic twists and turns I have endured. I am a writer. I take pride in my craft – more so in the business end than the personal end. So much of that documentation was ‘me’ and it told about who I am. It is the same as pictures. But now, pieces of me are scattered in space – electronic space – never to be heard from again.
Then there is the matter of email! Don’t get me started on that madness. If you rely on it for daily communication with people that are important to you, when you loose it, you suddenly find yourself alone in the world. There are only two choices – you either wait until you hear from someone again or you spend hours and days trying to locate that person. I did just that this month. I desperately needed to find a friend for some important information. My defunct computer coughed up an email address for her but it was ages and ages old. She had changed her address several times before my computer crashed. But I was encouraged that finding her would be a piece of cake. She had a business. I knew what it was so it was a source to search for. She, like myself, was into dogs big time – AKC etc. so I figured I could find her through breed. She was into gardening. That was how I met her on the Internet so I thought I might be able to do it again. I tried everything but nothing worked. Then, one day when I turned on my computer – there she was! An email had followed my computer crashes. I was so excited. I finally found one of my friends. I was positively giddy. I wrote back and told her my story. It was quite a reunion.
But that doesn’t happen with all lost addresses. What bothers me the most are the email files with serious data in them. Some form the backbone of my writing. Some files have pictures and information about the family etc. So many things are lost and never recovered. I don’t have a lot of time left in my life to reconstruct the bits and bytes of my life.
Then there are the problems with software packages, upgrades and many other problems that deal with the hardware/software which cause more headaches than one person can effectively deal with. So, I am seriously considering the rebirth of the electric typewriter. I have a very close friend that refuses to use a computer. She writes postcards and old fashioned notes. I chastise her when I have to race out to meet the mailman or I’m out of stamps. But I don’t have to turn on a machine to go back and read her notes and look at the beautiful pictures she takes on attaches to the front of the postcards. I can see them anytime. I can put them up on my office board and look at them daily. They bring a smile to my face and memories of our years of friendship. While I do admit to loving the ability to search for instant answers to urgent problems via Google, I still enjoy picking up one of our old encyclopedia books and stopping along the way to read interesting sections. The same can be said for cookbooks. When I’m out of ideas for dinner, there is no better place than the Internet for instant ideas, recipes, and help. But there is nothing more satisfying than to curl up with one of my many, many cookbooks for inspiration and learning.
So I am caught between two worlds – the old one I grew up in and spent the best days of my life, and the new, electronic marvel I’m forced to tolerate and use on a daily basis for business and pleasure. I sigh and try to convince myself that I have the best of both worlds, but sometimes I’m not so sure. The best part of my world is my life with dogs. They keep me humble, balanced, and in touch with my true, inner self. There is nothing better for my health and happiness than having my four-legged canine companions next to me. It’s the very best world of all. [Stay tuned for Part Two]
posted by Katie | 10:13 AM
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