My Black Thumb

My network guy Corey affectionately tells me I have the technology “black thumb”.  It’s the Midas touch reversed when it comes to technology.  The latest evidence is my desktop print, less than a couple of years old, acting like it is printing when it’s only shooting out blank white paper.  Getting a new printer is actually cheaper than trying to have it fixed.

And then there was that time when I was starting my new business, having had a lot of additional start-up expenses..  Right after purchasing a laptop I needed, I learned that my office computer had some bizarre problem giving the motherboard a slow-release computer-cancer; at any time she could totally crash.

Unfortunately, I was quite familiar with computer crashes.  Like in January 2010, just before I printed out all of my 2009 financial documents for my accountant, my computer refused to turn on.  And that was the last I heard from her…crash.  All of my data was destroyed.  I lost everything.

The good news is I had a back-up system.   The bad news is that my naughty back-up system hadn’t been backing up the files.  I had the joy of recreating all of my financial records for the year from my hand-written ledger and salvaging anything else I could.  Today you may call me paranoid, but I have a back-up system and a back-up back-up system.

I almost forgot about my smartphone last year.  Again, something happened that required me to replace it.  I spent hours and hours inconveniently at the AT&T store and some dinero with Corey getting all of my data and apps set up with the new phone only to discover some quirk with the phone that It wouldn’t allow me to use headphones.  So there I was ready to jam and work out hard  on the Precor at the Y only to have my music blasting out to the entire cardio area.  I had yet another trip to the AT&T store to change and start the data transfer process over.  Immediately, upon picking up my phone after the fifth or sixth time there, I discover that my contacts were not transferred.  When I called the person at the store who did the transfer, she said she didn’t have enough time to do them.  She did not want me to be upset, so she gave me the phone back without telling me they weren’t transferred.

Augh!

There are times I even consider that there are evil technology gremlins trying to mess with my mind and my sanity and divert me from my mission. There seems to be an uncanny coincidence whenever my technology misfires and the times I feel like I’m excelling in my work for the Lord. However, spiritual gremlins are not  embodied in the official  teachings of the Catholic Church.

I am believer of maximizing your use of technology or any other tool that makes you more productive.  I figure the other side is using technology to promote their agenda.  We would be foolish not to join in.

But when things happen to disrupt your dependence on technology,  it’s a nice a reminder from the big guy above who and what is really in control.  Take the frustrations along with the joy when technology does work well in stride and keep everything into perspective.

The Catholic Women’s Guide to Healthy Relationships Tip:  Use all the tools available to you to complete your mission, but don’t take yourself too seriously while doing it.