Mercury's in Retrograde
A friend, deeply inspired by astrology used to say that technological difficulties occur when "Mercury is in retrograde." I have no idea what that means, but whenever I experience technological difficulties, the phrase returns. Mercury's in retrograde. It's been a strange week of enough errant messages and computer malfunctions to cause one to believe that there is some strange, planetary intervention occuring or perhaps merely a ghost in the machine---my computer that is.
After exhausting my limited computer troubleshooting ritual---the non-tech's dance of deny, unplug, reboot, scan, curse, plead, repeat until acceptance permeates denial with the sinking sensation that the computer is indeed inhabited by peculiar little villains far superior to the likes of one technologically-challenged end-user and unvexed by said technologically-challenged end-user's vexation---I gave my computer to Tom for a few days who thankfully knows how to communicate with these peculiar little villains.
While he was busy negotiating with the little villains on my behalf, I carried on with my normal activities, sans normal technology and reflected on my technological dependence. It seems that I am quite attached to my ability to connect with others and access information online, so much so that when that ability is interrupted, my mind occasionally wanders and my fingers itch to recover virtual connection---I experienced a mild computer access withdrawal specific to this era. At the same time, once I accepted that I was indeed without access, it seemed a luxury to release all expectations of computer-based efficiencies and ease into a slower mode of being---exclusively embracing phone time, face time, and past-times normally reserved for other days. I read. I strolled. I sat outside between meetings, breathing in this new, old pace until Tom skillfully vanquished the peculiar little villains... or maybe Mercury moved on...
After exhausting my limited computer troubleshooting ritual---the non-tech's dance of deny, unplug, reboot, scan, curse, plead, repeat until acceptance permeates denial with the sinking sensation that the computer is indeed inhabited by peculiar little villains far superior to the likes of one technologically-challenged end-user and unvexed by said technologically-challenged end-user's vexation---I gave my computer to Tom for a few days who thankfully knows how to communicate with these peculiar little villains.
While he was busy negotiating with the little villains on my behalf, I carried on with my normal activities, sans normal technology and reflected on my technological dependence. It seems that I am quite attached to my ability to connect with others and access information online, so much so that when that ability is interrupted, my mind occasionally wanders and my fingers itch to recover virtual connection---I experienced a mild computer access withdrawal specific to this era. At the same time, once I accepted that I was indeed without access, it seemed a luxury to release all expectations of computer-based efficiencies and ease into a slower mode of being---exclusively embracing phone time, face time, and past-times normally reserved for other days. I read. I strolled. I sat outside between meetings, breathing in this new, old pace until Tom skillfully vanquished the peculiar little villains... or maybe Mercury moved on...
1 Comments:
Thanks Karen, it is a nice reminder of stepping out of our norm and seeing our Life from a "new" view.
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