Thursday 12 February 2015

Out with the Old, Mostly.

I took some more faithful old friends to the tip yesterday. I’ve mentioned here before that I always find it difficult abandoning faithful old friends to the tip, but it has to be done sometimes. Old friends pass and life moves on.

And lately it’s been becoming increasingly apparent that my old CRT computer monitor is showing signs of age, which isn’t surprising since it will be thirteen in May. I’ve been thinking for some time that I’ll have to dig deep into the pocket and buy a new one soon, and so it seemed a fortuitous coincidence that I should come across a second hand Dell flat screen monitor for sale in a charity shop at the bargain basement price of £12.50. I had to buy it, didn’t I, even though there was no guarantee that it would work. I hooked it up today and it works just fine, so I think the old Relisys CRT model can now go into honourable retirement and let the young pretender take centre stage. Does this mean, therefore, that the old guy will be the next faithful friend making the one way journey to the tip? Definitely not.

Over the past thirteen years I’ve had three computers, several keyboards, countless mice, and so on. The monitor has been the one thing to remain steadfast throughout. I watched my fiction develop and grow through this monitor. Its screen was my window on the world during a time of deep and meaningful correspondence with a few very special people scattered around that world. And it showed me the genesis of this very blog five years ago. Those special experiences make it an extra special friend.

And so, for as long as I live and have any say in the matter, this old monitor will not be going to any tip. I may not have a pedestal to raise it on, but at least it can enjoy a well earned rest.

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