Say Goodbye and Move On!

Saying goodbye is never easy; especially to things we’ve become attached to and we rely on everyday.  But sometimes we need to just “cut the strings”, “wash your hands of”, “kiss goodbye”… or plain and simply LET GO of something that’s old and move onto something that’s new.

Have you ever done that?  Just not let it go?  I realized that when I resist most it’s because I’m afraid of the time it takes to learn something new.  I’m comfortable with what I have and it takes a lot of energy and time to learn something new.

Take for example; I have an iPhone but my kids all have android phones.  My sons continually tell me I should switch because once I use one I’ll realize how much easier it is.  So why don’t I?  My son, JT, tells me it’s because I’m getting older and it means change.  You know, I think he’s right.  The older I get the more I’m finding I’m resisting change. I like the way everything works the way it is.

Now my dilemma is that my lap top computer is now over 6 years old!  I’ve been told for years that your computer is outdated within months of you purchasing it – what a HUGE waste of money when you think about it!  But is it really not good enough? It really comes down to asking this question: Can it still function for what you need it to do?  Someone who uses a computer to only type a letter now and again might totally be fine with their Pentium 4 (or a typewriter for that matter).  But then there’s the gamer who has to have the latest and greatest to keep up with all the newest games out there (cough, cough…no names mentioned here).

I figure that once your computer isn’t behaving the way it once did for what you need it, it’s time to move on. As the years have chugged along, this laptop has been re-formatted several times and the parts upgraded to keep it running in a manor that met our needs – thanks to having kids who are computer guys!  It’s also put on a lot of miles in our travels and has SO much character.  However, it now takes about 5 minutes (for real!) to open up an Adobe Reader document, many error windows are popping up, “not responding” message show up on a continual basis, and the gamer in the family isn’t happy anymore that his little Borderlands ‘zerker’ (is that what’s it’s called?) moves along in a robotic way because the video card isn’t processing his movements fast enough. (Imagine how far we’ve come since the space invaders days….who remembers that game?)  And quite frankly, I don’t think it would make it through another overseas trip.

So, it’s time to say farewell, adieu, auf wiedersehen, adiós amigo!  You have served us well. 

Now the question is: with so many options out there, what can ever replace it???