May 2003

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Just about every time I think I know how my body is going to react to something, I wind up getting a surprise. I'm not so much talking about allergens here, although the swollen eyelid of two years ago was a huge surprise. Instead, I'm thinking of how I'm currently reacting to some stressful things.

Over the years, I've had aches in my neck and shoulder before, usually from moving wrong or sleeping wrong. Those aches usually go away in a day. But the one I'm having now is different in its almost relentless hold. Why am I so convinced it's stress? Because when one of my major stressors isn't present, the relief is dramatic.

I know there are some secondary things that don't help---including sitting in front of a keyboard if I don't have the height adjusted just right, so I'm careful with that. But the major deal is stress.

Needless to say, I usually react to stress differently than I am this time. I usually wind up with headaches, or something more pronounced than my usual backache. This neck thing I'm learning how to deal with, but I'm not there yet. Which, of course, creates a bit more stress. You do see where this is going, don't you?

Actually, on a purely clinical, learn-more-about-myself level, it's been interesting to see this manifestation. But only so interesting. Now I want it to just go away.

May 4

Six years ago today to the Sunday, I made a significant purchase. It was my first notebook computer. And that purchase had a major impact on my life, much moreso than I would have thought at the time.

For the first few weeks I used the computer mainly for word processing, and most of that personal stuff. Shortly after that, I started taking it to work with me. At the time, the law firm's computer collection was smaller than it is now, so a spare computer was handy to have around. We did a lot of things that were stored on floppy disks, so it really didn't matter which computer was used for the typing.

At the time I had bought the computer, I really wasn't planning to have Internet access. Silly me, I thought I didn't need it for anything at home. It was another seven months before I changed that.

It was a few months after that when I met someone online who really turned out to be a good friend. Later that year, when we met face-to-face, we both spent some time playing with that computer.

Although I'm two notebook computers beyond the original one, I still have it and consider it to be a vital member of the computer dormitory community here in Beckyland. More than one journal entry has been typed on it, and it's still in good shape.

All in all, it was one of the best purchases I've ever made. It brought me a lot of joy, and has led to some really good things.

* * * * * * * * * * *

I remember the date of the computer's purchase in part because it would have been my late friend D.'s birthday, and he was on my mind, much as he has been today. I miss him, and I'm honored to have had the privilege of being his friend. One of my favorite entries was written for him on this day two years ago.