Yesterday I said goodbye to an old friend of mine. We first met in college and promptly began to spend hours and hours together. It was as if we were made for each other (in a totally platonic way, of course). We stayed up late into the night writing reports, playing games, and generally just burning time.
My friend followed me out west after college, but I could tell the relationship was beginning to strain. Gone were the days where we did whatever I wanted. Now, we did what I wanted on occasion, but mostly we just did what my friend wanted. And that was usually nothing. So many time I came up to my friend and said, “Do you want to…,” and I’d have to stop because I knew that my friend didn’t want to do anything. My friend just wanted to sit and sulk.
I think it had something to do with my work schedule. After all, forty hours of work a week, rock climbing, snowboarding, and general grown-up life responsibilities didn’t leave me the free time to hang out like we did when my friend helped me plow through homework.
The last few weeks, this friend of mine decided that enough was enough. We were through, over, done. No longer would this ex-friend come out and play. No, the metaphorical ball was picked up and taken home.
I was shocked, saddened, and a little ashamed. After all, I’m sure it was partly my fault. I must have done something wrong, but I don’t see how I could do anything differently should I have the opportunity. So I did the only thing I could do. I looked at that error message my friend, my old tan computer, kept showing me, I leaned over, and I pushed the power button. Without a farewell, without signing off like it always had before, my monitor went black, and I knew my friend was gone.
For many, many seconds I mourned the loss of my friend.
And then I bought a new friend. A shiny black one with dual cores, gigs of ram, and more doo-dads, whos-its, and whatsits than I will ever use. I pulled my new friend out of the box, set it by my monitor, and told it, “We’re going to have some fun together, you and I. But I hope you’re not too emotionally needy because I have a lot of other stuff in my life. We may go weeks without seeing each other. Before I start this relationship, I need to know if you’re okay with that. I don’t think I can take having my heart broken again like that.”
My shiny new friend just sat quietly.
I took its silence for an affirmative.
My friend followed me out west after college, but I could tell the relationship was beginning to strain. Gone were the days where we did whatever I wanted. Now, we did what I wanted on occasion, but mostly we just did what my friend wanted. And that was usually nothing. So many time I came up to my friend and said, “Do you want to…,” and I’d have to stop because I knew that my friend didn’t want to do anything. My friend just wanted to sit and sulk.
I think it had something to do with my work schedule. After all, forty hours of work a week, rock climbing, snowboarding, and general grown-up life responsibilities didn’t leave me the free time to hang out like we did when my friend helped me plow through homework.
The last few weeks, this friend of mine decided that enough was enough. We were through, over, done. No longer would this ex-friend come out and play. No, the metaphorical ball was picked up and taken home.
I was shocked, saddened, and a little ashamed. After all, I’m sure it was partly my fault. I must have done something wrong, but I don’t see how I could do anything differently should I have the opportunity. So I did the only thing I could do. I looked at that error message my friend, my old tan computer, kept showing me, I leaned over, and I pushed the power button. Without a farewell, without signing off like it always had before, my monitor went black, and I knew my friend was gone.
For many, many seconds I mourned the loss of my friend.
And then I bought a new friend. A shiny black one with dual cores, gigs of ram, and more doo-dads, whos-its, and whatsits than I will ever use. I pulled my new friend out of the box, set it by my monitor, and told it, “We’re going to have some fun together, you and I. But I hope you’re not too emotionally needy because I have a lot of other stuff in my life. We may go weeks without seeing each other. Before I start this relationship, I need to know if you’re okay with that. I don’t think I can take having my heart broken again like that.”
My shiny new friend just sat quietly.
I took its silence for an affirmative.
Comments
Wonderful post.
I just hope you were in the habit of backing up stuff on the old friend before it said goodbye.
Must admit you had me hooked too, great post.
As for backups, thankfully I had my buddy's iPod for use as a portable hard drive. I got everything I needed off the old computer before it decided it was done with me.