Okay so I have sentimental objects and I will probably post about those in the next two days but I have to be honest, the topic first brought to mind an object in the most base meaning of the word, so I’m going with that, because it’s true: my computer.
This is my little set up. You can see the sticky notes of things I have to do asap. There is dentyne fire gum- its sugarless and gives me a kick and sometimes I chomp through it like it’s candy. But I don’t suffer from the writer’s caffeine addiction, though I do succumb to chocolate. I don’t smoke either and never have so gum it is. There’s also my little black book for notes of ideas and I have books like this in some form almost everywhere. Ah the writer’s mind.
But we’re talking about objects here and the truth is, minus sentimental value (of which I have many things) the computer is my most beloved. Since the advent of the home PC, in my own lifetime, I’ve become more and more addicted. [Tangent: I typed high school and college reports on a typewriter. Yes, I’m old. Yes, it sucked. Yes, even then I knew I was waiting for something like a computer, I knew that concept already existed somewhere and I was damn pissed off that I still had to type 20 and 30 page reports on a typewriter. You have no idea unless you went through it..putting the white erasing tape in the cylinder to erase mistakes….so happy when my dad could afford and passed down to me his Selectric which could erase on its own, you just had to type the buttons to do it.] But I digress.
In a long power outage, I would actually read more books, but I get my news, a portion of my entertainment and most importantly my connection with others in a large part from my computer. Many of my relatives that I never see are at least in contact via Facebook. Many of my intellectual, networking, and supportive connections have been made over the internet. Without it I would kind of be lost.
So here’s to Gates, Jobs, Turing, Babbage and everyone else who led me to this desk. A desk and bookshelves my husband built for me (if you want to get sentimental) all as a place to rest my favorite object, in the dictionary sense: my computer.
PS. Yes, that’s Grant Morrison’s “The Invisibles” graphic novel series, all bound into one collection. The whole series. I highly recommend it to readers even beyond comic and graphic novel lovers. It is as dynamic and imaginative as any novel.
PPS. Yes, that’s a Dr. Who Tardis on one of the shelves. : )
PPPS: That’s Borges peaking out on the spine of one of the books. That side of the shelves is my poetry collection.
You’ve put us all to shame, you know. There we were, waxing all sublime and nostalgic and sh•t, but I’ve seen no one (so far, and admittedly my blog hoppin’ needs to amp up the hoppin’) mention that one thing without which we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. THE COMPUTER! Of course! I’m joined at the hip to mine: writing, sure, but also browsing, search engines (type in your question, my child, and an answer shall be given — to me, and I’m also from the type-term-papers generation, this is the best part of “living in the future” 😀 ), and — oh my, the graphics! PHOTOSHOP! ILLUSTRATOR! It’s sad to see that such a central object to our life and lifestyle gets so little appreciation. So–kudos, m’dear 🙂 Loved your post.
Guilie @ Quiet Laughter
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LOL Thanks so much. Yeah, sometimes its the stuff right in front of our eyes that goes unnoticed. : )
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Thank you for participating. I am glad that you wrote about your computer, because to some extent I also have an attachment with my first laptop which I am using currently. These small things get connected with us and become an integrate part of our lives. Good post and a well organized work station for sure.
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That’s a well organised work station to me!
And oh, howI feel your pain completely re the typewriters! I can still recall the ache in my fingers — when I was a temping teen, I worked in this solicitors office where their ideas of spending money on staff and equipment was about as welcome as a black rat with a lot of fleas on it looking a bit under the weather…anyway, my employment oppression was such that they had me using one of those ancient Imperials, with the really deep keys that felt like a descent into typing Hades with every depression by my young and so impressionable fingers. So yes, my friend, I understand completely your ode to the PC and if Charles Babbage were here today, I might actually marry him in some parallel universe.
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LOL. Love your response! Typing Hades indeed. Someone should write an ode to Babbage. Or Turing. There’s still debate.
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Hi. Thank you for participating in the #Cherished blogfest. That monitor sure looks wonderful. Thanks.
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Why didn’t I think of my computer when coming up with my post on cherish blogfest. I ended up using my first published book as my object. But my computer is my friend and helps me to write the books I love. Think goodness for spell check and editors, I write so fast and never think about spelling, the computer red lines my mistakes for me to go back and correct. I learned to type in high school so I guess that dates me as well. Have a great day.
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: ) Its so much a part of our lives its invisible.
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Anyone who has Borges among their books is a friend of mine!!
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Love the poets! Five shelves dedicated to them. : )
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I used to think typewriters were cool. Maybe because, I’ve never used them.
The computer will always be cherished by every writer. And, I love your bookshelves!
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Thank you!
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Nice post. I remember this old type writer my grandparents used to have. Something tells me there are writers that still use them though, despite the antiqued technology.
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Cool pick. I remember typing my papers in high school and the beginning of college. I think my very last paper before I graduated was printed on a dot-matrix printer. I’ve got the Walking Dead collection of comics–my first comic book and I do love them.
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omg I so remember dot matrix.
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Hi, if not for Blogfest I’d not have found you, glad I have. Really enjoyed this piece. The subject of Cherished blogfest, leads to sentimentality, but as I have a stronger practical streak I really like this. Best wishes, x
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Thank you!
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That makes total sense. I was thinking, you must have made a killing. Typing was hell for those of us who… didn’t. I actually finally learned to type for real on a computer keyboard…. just by doing it for years. Glad to know I am not the only one that remembers typewriters LOL.
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Oh, I’m not quite as old as that price-per-page would indicate. Most people charged three dollars a page, but I could type three times faster than anyone else and it guaranteed plenty of business!
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I typed papers on a typewriter too. In college I typed papers for one dollar a page, or two dollars a page if they wanted edits. I sent myself to Europe twice by typing papers.
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