9th July, 8.10 am… something unimaginable happened. My tech soul mate aka my Laptop died on me. That I was devastated, was an understatement. I tried various plug points in the house to charge, re-inserted the battery, pressed the power button mercilessly, but the laptop refused to come to life.
I didn’t give myself the time to mourn, but simply galvanised into action. I made Sunita, my house help to rush through the chores and reached the dealer showroom where I had met-fallen in love-and finally married my tech soul mate. I thought, it must be the problem with the adapter power cable. So, I just had to buy the new one and believed that I would be re-united with my darling in a few minutes. But the service support detected problem with my laptop. Gasp!! Shock turned into momentary coma. While that guy was coolly replacing the new laptop cord in its box, I was impatiently waiting for him to revive my laptop. Finally, when he got my attention, I told him that I’d wait in the showroom, while he worked on my laptop. He smiled at me (I am sure, he must be wanting to laugh hysterically, though) and said, “Ma’am, this will take a day!” I couldn’t believe my ears. My world came crashing! I tried to cajole him to work on it faster, but he was firm.
Dejected and depressed, I called my real-life soul mate aka KG, who was out of town and in midst of some meeting. I shared the tragic and heart-breaking news with him. As I was going on and on about how such a thing could happen and how grief-stricken I was. KG suggested that I call our friend J and ask him to send his kids’ laptop to me. I called J immediately but his number was busy. While I was fidgeting with my phone and giving time to J to finish his call, he called me. Before I could say anything, he said that he is arranging to send the laptop. It took a few seconds for the brain to comprehend his words. As I was gushing with gratitude, I smiled at what KG had done. He knew that without my laptop, I’d be like a fish without water, so he called J himself and made it easier for me.
Soon enough, I had a laptop in my hands. I consoled myself and wished and hoped and prayed that I am united with my own laptop soon and started the laptop J sent me. I inserted my internet data card and it refused to work. I applied all my tech know-how to get the internet working on this laptop but to no avail. I called the customer care and spent an hour on phone with the various executives but the result were the same. Finally, a tech support was assigned to visit home by evening and sort the issue. I thought, till he comes, let me check my Facebook, blog or surf in general on my phone. And guess what, the Murphy’s Law came true for me. Yes, everything does goes wrong all at once! The internet on phone was terribly slow and even Whatsapp messages were not getting delivered.
By this time, I was heartsick, fed-up and frustrated. I decided to snap out of this state and got ready to visit my Mom and Dad. They were thrilled to see me and the Kadhi-Chawal that Mom had made for lunch instantly made me feel better. There’s nothing like mom’s cooking to comfort and cheer you up. Rest of the afternoon was spent in chatting and relaxing with them.
In the evening, the tech support guy sorted the internet problem and I thought that the bad day was behind me.
I started writing a post for the blog and the laptop shut down on its own suddenly. It was a WTH moment! I looked at the laptop incredulously. This was the second laptop in a day that had died on me. Unlike my laptop, J’s laptop did wake up from slumber, but it continued to behave erratically. So, though, I had a laptop and a working internet, but I couldn’t do anything, not even lurk on the Facebook.
I just gave up on my tech world and entered the calm and often ignored space aka the kitchen. Next day was the birthday of our friend’s daughter and I thought of baking a cake for her.
I actually prayed before gathering the cake ingredients, that nothing should go wrong now, given the bad day that I had had since morning.
And… nothing went wrong!
I graduated from making the regular tea time cakes to an innovative cake, that day. Yes, I made this gravity defying cake. Isn’t it cool!
The Gems are a little less in this picture, but I bought more and added to the cake later which gave it a well full of Gems look. The birthday girl loved her gift and all the others at the party were in awe of it too.
So, for a day and half, I was forced to refrain from using laptop and internet. I realized how dependent and addicted I am to my gadgets and that I share a very unhealthy relationship with technology. How miserable I was when my laptop crashed. How weird it was that if the internet was not working, I didn’t know what to do with the laptop. Without my phone, I’d be restless. Though I wouldn’t be expecting those earth shattering or momentous emails or messages on phone, but every message notification makes be go and grab my phone.
This day and a half made me realize that though gadgets have become an integral part of our lives, but there’s more to life than Facebook, RTs on Twitter or blog or silly messages on Whatsapp. It is important to take a break from the technology especially social media which takes away most of my time. It is important to enjoy and savor life outside the tech world. I have heard and seen a few blogging friends do the digital detox. And I think, I need it too. I think, I need to find the balance in appreciating and using technology the right way, but still knowing when to turn it off to experience life to its fullest.
I know, a digital detox would not be easy initially but I know that it would be rewarding for both me and my life.
Do you share a healthy relationship with technology?
40 Responses
The perils of the job-working on computer! Worst nightmare to see the computer crash:)
It is indeed the worst nightmare. Thank God the data was safe and sound!
Hahaha! That must have been catastrophic! I should probably sound more sympathetic, but I’m just too happy for that birthday girl who got a surprise cake! 😀 My birthday is on 11th Jan, ok. Go for a digital detox on that day as well and bake me a surprise cake too! 😛 😛 😛 I’m shamelessly greedy, ain’t I?
Catastrophic is putting it mildly! 🙁
Yes, baking a cake that was well appreciated was the best outcome from this terrible day. LOL 😀 I will bake a cake for you without the digital detox. Dont worry. But, yes, a regular digital detox is a must for me!
indeed there’s so much more to life. I remember when my laptop died … my heart almost stopped beating … but then reality soon caught up 😀 These days I often have days when I don’t open my laptop. I just cook and read and talk to people.
That cake is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! 😀
Yes, there’s much more to life than our tech gadgets and their world. I know, if we look away from the various screens, we will have so much time on our hands to do meaningful things. Good that you are on the right track. Thanks, Raj, glad you liked the cake! 🙂
Poor Shilpa! I felt your pain on reading your post. I also am so addicted to my computer and all this technology. It’s pretty bad, actually. Good you were able to appreciate life away from the Internet. Love your cake. You did a great job on it.
Hope you are up and running again and didn’t lose too much. It’s the worst feeling and yet, maybe we need to be forced to unplug now and then. I know I’m hopelessly addicted and need to get away from it or it consumes every waking moment. I do love my Facebook and I do love all my blogging friends like you.
And then there is my other addiction of taking photos of my birdies and furry friends. I guess I’m just an addictive personality. LOL!
Thank you for empathizing, Cat. It was a terrible day. Thank God, I didnt lose any data. I had taken the data back-up just a fortnight ago, so majority of the data was safe in external hard drive too. Thank you so much, glad you liked this cake, Cat!
Oh,I love your pics of Mr C and other birds. I guess, we all are addicted to something or the other… so we are all on the same page 😀
Shilpa, I felt I was reading about my own experience. If my lap or the internet stop working I become very impatient.My laptop and phone are my permanent companions.I really panic when these two items stop working.
I know what you mean, Ma’am. We are tooo dependent in our gadgets now-a-days 🙂
I keep thinking of backing up content of my laptop. I’m so paranoid that I even think of backing up the back up!! Technology has indeed taken over our lives and I admire those who are able to break away from it.
I can relate to your paranoia. I actually keep data back-up at 2 places and keep updating it every 2 months. Sometimes, I think that must do it more frequently!
There are days like that when our world crash down. It makes me realize how dependent I am om lap top and right now, surviving on plug in since the battery is dead and gone. The lap top is surviving coz it gets stuck quite often and hope it gives me company till Dec, the time I buy a new one and it will celebrate 4 years.. Glad it ended well with the budday cake, Shilpa:)
I remember reading about your FB update. Hope you have been able to zero down from the various choices for your next laptop buy. And hope the current one lives till you get the new one!
I don’t know how healthy my relationship is with technology but it has caused me more tears and more pain than most relationships. Yet, I stay in the relationship hoping to learn more about that partner, which makes it all worthwhile in the end.
Aah! We are all the same boat, Carol! 😛
I think I’m not really dependent on my gadgets, but I never know unless I’m in a situation of that sorts. Sometimes when work is hectic,I completely take a break from blogging and writing and I’m ok with that because I know I cannot manage everything and be good at everything, all at the same time 🙂
That’s a very sane thing to believe and act on. It’s fantastic that you are not addicted to technology, Ashwini. Way to go!
Boy! What a day you had!! Hope all is sorted and settled now. Love the cake, quite the talented lady you are!
Oh, dont ask. It was one of the lousiest day. Thank you, Inderpreet, glad you liked the cake 🙂
I would totally dissolve if my computer crashed. Into nothingness! It’s how I felt reading this post Shilpa! Well, actually, I often wonder how I would react were this to happen. These last several days we were in the bush, 550 kms away from where we live. The bush is just that – wild, unsophisticated, very limited internet connectivity. Only sometimes, perhaps an hour in total, did I get signal to use my phone to do a tiny bit of computer catch-up. Now that we’re home, I’ll be playing catch up for a few days from tomorrow. I KNOW that I’m overly dependent on technology and I wish it were not so!
Your cake is beautiful Shilpa and if it tasted anything like it looks, I bet it was the most delicious offering EVER!
Aah! I know the feeling when the connectivity is poor… I experience that when I am travelling. And it can pretty annoying and frustrating. But it’s important to break away from these tech gadgets and we should not let our moods be dependent on them too. I hope I am able to do this digital detox regularly! Thank you so much, Susan. yes, the cake tasted great too 🙂
Okay so Honestly I always knew about you and your Darling Love ! But hell yeah ! Forget that ! I LOVE the CAKE !!!!!
I want one too !!!!!!!!!! 🙂
LOL 😀 Was this love ever a secret?? Thank You… come over and will bake one for you! 🙂
Shilpa, I can imagine how awful it must have felt like to not have your laptop when you want it. Though I don’t own one, when my computer is down/not working, it seems like part of my life is over or something of that sort! 😉 Perhaps being summer and/or not participating in a daily blog challenge has helped me step away from the computer a lot more than usual. I now put it on primarily at the end of the day, a few hours before bedtime. Then I get a lot more done and/or fun stuff I wish to do. 😉 Hope your laptop is back and that you didn’t lose any or much data: that’s the worst! BTW, your cake is AMAZING! WOW! I can see why your birthday friend loved it! 🙂 <3
First and foremost, congratulations on the gravity defying cake, shilpa. Looks wonderful…maybe you should make a post specially about it. And yes, could’nt agree more with you on the digital detox. A digital detox helps our creative juices flow.
Wow! That’s an eye-opener. I think we’re all in danger of relying on our tech gadgets too much. I spend all morning writing my blog, publicizing it, and reading other blogs. That’s a big chunk out of my day. The only problem is, I don’t know how to avoid the problem short of not writing a daily blog.
This is the reason why I find some event and go somewhere out on Sat & Sun. I have decided to be away from my laptop at least for 1.5 days in a week, compulsorily. Fortunately, I am not addicted to phone that much.
Destination Infinity
PS: Super cake, btw 🙂
In those situations we feel so helpless. Happened to me couple of times. The cake is yummy.
Actually yes I do share a pretty healthy relationship with technology. Although, I have to admit it’s out of compulsion. There are periods of time when other things take over so completely and I just do not get to the comp. And I’m good with that. I cannot help but notice that you have a wonderful husband who knows you well and that if everything goes wrong – well you can always fall back upon ‘ma ke haath ka khana’ – lucky you.
BTW that cake is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.
Shilpa, this was funny and inspiring all at the same time!! I’m in love with the cake you made! Just super!!!
I do use my phone and computer extensively during the weekdays but for whatever reason, I have no time for them in the weekends! I do peek at Facebook but not obsessively, as I once used to!
That must have been so frustrating! My old laptop used to crash quite often and I was thrilled to finally get a new one. That said, you made very good use of your time offline. Great cake!
It’s good to unplug every now and then, to experience “real life” more fully. 🙂
Hmm. Yes. Life without internet is not the end of the world. There is more to life than FB, Twitter etc. 🙂
PS: Hope your laptop is okay now. 🙂
PPS: I’m hungry for cake. Any pieces left? 😀
I’d have to define ‘healthy’ in my case 😛
My wife calls my Macbook ‘The Mistress’. Can’t really blame her though 😉
The cake looks spectacular! And I’m fondly remembering your posts about the ‘tea time cakes’ 🙂
Oh I don’t know what I would do without my technology. I imagine my relationship is a healthy one, but in reality it is probably less healthy than I believe. I’m so glad you found that there was life beyond technology… and your cake is beautiful!! I’m going to go detox from technology now! 😉
Omg! First things first – you made that cake? that cake? I saw it on the Home Bakers Group. Is that you? Gosh! You are so talented. awesome!
Now – a crashed laptop. Asked me about it! I’ve been in similar situations and I don’t even have the choice of meeting parents so I go through hell.. laptop and internet, it’s a necessity.
OMG! That Cake!!! <3
Wow…that cake is just unbelievable.
And…my smartphone died on me when I was away from home.
So for four days I was all sad and like someone said missed the heartbeat.
The creativity oozed out, irrespective of the medium. That’s good.
The trauma was devastating to read ;P
OMG! I hope your laptop is back and working perfectly now! I can’t imagine what I would have done if things had gone wrong the way it went for you. Yes, you said it right, we need a break from technology every once in a while, it does feels better.