I am in trouble. Yes I am. And it’s not the first time. I have been in trouble before, so I need to take a deep breath.

I just bought a new computer.

The “old gal” that lived on the floor under my desk was past her prime; manifesting some hiccups, maybe entering her last gasps. She was almost 11. That’s old for a dog and for a computer! A big box standing about 16 inches high, she was about 16-18 inches deep. She took up a lot of floor space, but that was OK since she had been faithful for a long time. In her day, she was a streamlined model. But she was showing her age. 

Everything I write was written on that computer. However, if there was a power failure, she turned off and was difficult to turn on again. It was scary. My book edits, my columns, my weekly newspaper articles, were all stored on her. 

I work in front of two screens. I am a smarty-pants in the older-generation scheme of things. But, I am a novice and a sissy-pants among anyone younger; especially 4-12-year-olds. They pass me up in knowledge of these electronics. So, it took me several years to get the nerve to purchase another screen, and it was the best thing I could have done as a writer. I can put the research on one screen, and type up an article on the left screen. Oh I can do all kinds of tricks now. 

But, there were some bits of information that I could always look up when I needed to find past articles or features, or whatever. The “old gal” was faithful. I knew where the WORD program was, I subscribed and paid for that program among others. I could find my way around.

The new kid on the “desk” took her place. The little computer box sits next to my screens and it is 2 1/2 inches high by about 7 1/2 inches square. It is small. This “kid” has more memory and more zip and power than the “old gal.” It is a dynamo. 

Sounds good, doesn’t it? Well, I am sorry to admit that it’s a test. That’s what it is.

It feels different. 

I know. I will adjust. 

But in the meantime, I am searching for old programs I bought, for past articles I wrote for future use. Are they lost? Maybe. But, guess what? I did something really, really smart. Ha! I backed up all my work on a neat little box that plugs into my computer. It is an external hard drive and plugs into the computer. Whew. Glad I did that.

So all is not lost. I know now that I will probably never do this again, buy a new computer; that this machine will live longer than me ... maybe not. But I want to encourage you all to not sit back and say, “Technology is passing me up.” It’s true, technology is passing us up, but don’t sit back. Get a gadget to fiddle with, and we will compare notes. OK?

Everybody needs something to get frustrated about. 

Judi Tabler lives in Pawnee County and is a guest columnist for the Great Bend Tribune. She can be reached atjuditabler@gmail.com.