That was stupid.
Several weeks ago, my laptop crashed. Like a lot of people, I had my entire digital life on the hard drive. Some of it was backed up, a lot of it wasn’t. Most of the things that were not backed up were also not replaceable - legally or illegally. Obviously, I can only blame myself for not being prepared. In a grand “what the hell was I thinking” episode, I was convinced I had at least 2 backup copies of the most invaluable bits of data: various pieces of writing compiled over the past two-and-a-half years. Lesson learned. Triple check that shit.
After the diagnosis and replacement of the hard drive and battery (they died together, how dramatic of them) - a process which took about two weeks longer than it should have - the inept computer repair team handed me back my traumatized laptop with a giant, new HDD installed and an off-color, off-brand battery they claimed was from Apple. Another lesson learned. Never take a Mac to a place that specializes in PCs.
The fried hard drive is sitting in my room wrapped in plastic wrapped in bubble wrap. At times, I’m still trying to figure out if those files are worth the $500-$1000 to have a high-tech company, located somewhere in Texas, recover them in their dust-free labs. For now, I’m slowly recovering what I can - reinstalling software programs, reorganizing music, and downloading a few items that were backed up online.
Despite being incredibly frustrated (mostly at myself) and, at times, depressed about the result of all this, there’s something positive to come from it. There has to be. You don’t lose something valuable without it making room for something new, right? I think of this as an unexpected purging and a chance to examine old habits.
(Another note: It was interesting not having easy & immediate access to the Internet for a couple weeks. I felt out of touch with a lot of the culture (people, blogs, etc.) I followed everyday. After a while that FOMO - fear of missing out - began to fade and I was able to fill that time with the neglected reading on my bookshelf.)
I haven’t fully remembered everything that was lost, but I am realizing a lot of it doesn’t need to be recovered. It’s very easy to accumulate when you’re dealing with intangible items in digital space. The old saying is true; Your possessions end up possessing you. I’m looking at a clean slate now. Generally speaking, I have become more conscientious about what is important and how to protect it. Literally speaking, I’m going to start backing important shit up on a regular basis.
My “new” computer is suddenly “damaged goods,” running slow at times, but should get through another year in its already lengthy lifespan. I still would like to have a few of those “irreplaceable” pieces back, but that’s not a major concern. Even if I never get them back, I feel like I have already let them go. It’s time to create something new in its place.
