gone are the days

gone are the days of truly appreciating our belongings. gone are the days of real gratitude for all of our conveniences. most of the time, things aren't working fast enough, efficient enough, or long enough. i think of my lovely little laptop computer. it is easy for me to complain that the power cord has a short in it and the screen has some permanent smudges and the software is slow and the left speaker cover is coming up a bit - but wait until the day that this lovely compy stops working all together! i mean, this compy has gone through a lot and it is still working! practically a miracle. it has fought a good fight - being shoved in my bag day after day, class after class. it has been dropped and slid and slammed and carelessly unplugged before it was all finished shutting down. what kind of steward am i?! rather than starting it up and loudly sighing while it takes forever to get onto mozilla, i should be happy at how cooperative this thing is most of the time. i should be glad that colors start appearing on my screen and that i can still check my email! what would i do if i couldn't do that with such ease?

i am going to start really appreciating this computer. the day it dies, it will be like saying goodbye to a favorite work horse or to the worn-out tractor. can't you just picture a farmer letting go of his tractor or horse, his work companion of many years after it's seen its day, and seeing his reflective gaze as he remembers hours of labor with that tractor or that horse? i feel like farmers know what it's like to appreciate their tools and belongings. they know that these things make our lives easier! thus, just as a farmer lovingly picks up his plow - the plow that has served him so well - i will lovingly open my laptop computer and smile. i will not complain that it is being slow or uncooperative! mark me, compy, i am a changed owner - and we shall enjoy a long and prosperous existence together, sending emails, writing briefs, and posting entries into the sunset.