Sydney Life

I am in a new relationship. It is new and exiting and he constantly impresses me. This freshness, however, does lead to some serious misunderstandings. There are moments when I find we just don’t know what we want from one another. My first thought was that perhaps he was a little stubborn and temperamental. That isn’t the problem though – it’s just that we come from completely different backgrounds and occasionally we fail to understand eachother.

But I’m committed to making it work, because this one is special. I can feel it in my fingertips. He is the one that can, and will, make my life complete.

His name is Mac and I love him!

Okay, okay – Mac isn’t exactly human. More machine than he is man, Mac is my beautiful, new, shiny, black Mac Book!

Mac and I have been on a sort of collision course for a few months now. Our union was made inevitable by a combination of my old laptop's decision to die a long, drawn out death, and the absolute impossibility of turning on the TV, or opening a magazine, without Mac’s clear-apple-face staring back at me.

All year my old laptop had been showing signs of illness. Turning off for no apparent reason. Telling me his battery was fully charged and within seconds warning me I was about to lose my work, before rudely shutting itself off. I lost more than one important document in this fashion.

It has been a hard break up – I was reluctant to let him go because we shared so many wonderful memories together. My first High-Distinction worthy essay at Uni. The resume that got me my first retail job at David Jones. He had even held onto some of my photos from Year 11 camp!

But in the end he just shut off completely – ended all communication!

I think it was better that way. A clean break is always a good thing – and it has made it so much easier to move on with Mac - the new love of my life.

The relationships we have with our computers are an interesting study.

I have a friend who turns his off in exactly the same way every time he finishes using his laptop for the day. It’s like his post-game ritual, ensuring his computer is good to him the next time they encounter one another. It is his superstitious way of warding off virus and infection.

Another friend of mine is involved in an abusive relationship with her laptop. She treats him badly and he misbehaves. Which is actually quite reflective of her relationship with her real-life boyfriend.

I feel a theory coming on…..

They say judge a man by the way he treats his mother. Well maybe, in this digital age, we should take more stock of how a man treats his computer. The thrill seekers among us might be more attracted to men who screw anti-virus protection and just risk it – downloading from limewire without a care in the world.

Those among us who are more romantic may look for someone who treats his or her laptop with love, and affection – ensuring a lasting relationship by waiting until the battery has completely run out before recharging.

I myself will pay the most attention to the state of their documents – are they messy, sporadic, and lacking in any desktop organisation? Or are they organised by subject and year? If the later is the case I will be sufficiently impressed.

That, however, won’t be a serious consideration for some time. I feel no need to explore any new options just yet, because as I write to you now Mac and I are finally getting along perfectly.