Our thumbs and our brains (and some would say our rugged
good looks) are what truly separate us from the rest of the animals. Sure, the
lion is the fearsome king of the jungle, but ask one to open a jar of pickles
and it’s no better than a mewling babe. Our ability to make and create is
seemingly without limit.
Consider the miracle that is a glass bottle. Austere in
form, robust in variety and essential to modern convenience, the glass bottle
starts as desert sand (silica) and, ironically, with enough heat, becomes
capable of capturing and holding water.
And that’s just a glass bottle. Cars hold people, houses
hold lives and technology holds memories.
So it’s frustrating when these things fail us. And when they
fail us consistently, we have a choice to make: Fix it or forget it?
My trusty scanner has been acting up lately; it won’t talk
to my computer. Apparently they had a falling out when I was busy drawing an
inspirational cartoon called “American Magic” of an eagle carrying a baby
unicorn, because when I went to scan it in, I received an error message. It’s
like I’m a coach trying to get his two star players to work together again as a
team.
“Scanner, remember that time Computer commented on how nice
your resolution was? And Computer, didn’t if feel good to hear that Scanner
liked working with you over any other machine? Guys? Guys???”
So I brought in some outside help: I downloaded a new
driver, installed it and … nothing.
Basically, the manufacturers have given up on my scanner.
They’ve moved on. The last available software update was in 2005. The body is
willing, but the brain is obsolete. To rejuvenate my scanner, I have to build a
time machine. Go back several OSs until they are compatible again. But trapping
a relationship in amber, freezing it in a perfect, crystalline moment in time, isn’t
any more real than my eagle/unicorn picture (although it is pretty amazing).
Maybe the question isn’t “fix it or forget it”. Maybe it’s “accept
it or reject it”?
