To My Very Old Laptop:
It seems odd and at the same time not unexpected that I have a very close connection to my laptop. If you ask anyone who knows me well, they’d say the same thing. Me without my laptop is, to say the least, an almost unfathomable concept.
I must say, however, that I never anticipated writing an entire poem surrounding my love for this particular device. Even for me, the concept of writing what is almost akin to an open letter to my laptop seemed like quite the unusual concept; but something made me finally sit down and write it. And as I stared at the finished product sitting in front of me, the large part of me that always romanticizes everything was filled with joy; and it was then that I knew I had to share it.
Here’s to the piece of tech that showed up unexpectedly and made itself a permanent home at my desk and in my heart.
Dear 2014 MacBook Pro,
You are nothing short of incredible;
Weathered by experience,
Scratched accidentally by loving hands,
Hugged in the rain for protection,
Slammed shut in frustration,
Screen smudged by fingers tapping at the hundreds of lines of code —
I envy you.
You know your purpose, more than most.
You go from person to person with no reservations.
At most you feel bad because the previous person’s work took less of a toll on you.
You are smart, and give everything your best shot.
You push through even when you’re at 5%;
You never leave me bored, whether it be the small rainbow circle or the plethora of things you can do at the same time with ease —
I wish I thanked you more.
You work 24/7/365:
You watch me watch movies,
You watch me look at code run,
You watch me FaceTime my friends,
You watch me apply for jobs,
You watch me smile in gratitude when you make something work just the way I wanted.
But as I do, you age.
There will come a time where you simply cannot keep up with the latest software trends;
A time where your children and grandkids look better, act smarter, and are more capable.
You are no longer the perfect choice;
You are no longer the best choice;
But you are my choice;
And so, I hang on.
Because where everyone turned away you didn’t, and continue to play my favorite show when I am sad.
You cover me in your warmth when I get rejected from opportunities I wanted.
You buzz in excitement when I finally get an offer letter.
You display my code proudly, for everyone to see.
You hold my tears when things get to be too stressful.
You show commitment where others have walked away.
You help me communicate with the ones who want to stay.
I don’t want to know life without you.
The time is nearing where I will have to say goodbye.
Where for the last time I will click shut down, never to see you wake up again.
I will then turn to one of your grandkids, shiny and new, in the hope that I will find company half as comforting as yours…
I will miss you.
I’ll miss you humming at me to keep going even when I think you need a break;
I’ll miss your gorgeous silver surface, littered by small scratches, souvenirs from all the wonderful places we’ve been together.
I’ll miss the feeling of pride I get because I met you when I finally figured out what I wanted to do with my life.
I’ll miss your incessant nagging for me to help you stay current with the trends —
I rarely ever update you.
Half because I’m lazy, half because I love you just the way you are.
I’ll miss the way you fit so perfectly with me;
Every color scheme, every setting.
But more than anything,
I’ll miss your light.
The sign that you were always there, waiting to pick up right where we left off.
To my 2014 MacBook Pro: thank you.
I must say,
I don’t quite look forward to saying “Hello World” to one without you.
To the things both real and not so much that make even the mundane feel extraordinary: Thank You.
Much Love.
