My computer picked up a bug a couple of weeks ago. I am sure that a lot of you know the feelings of panic and despair that immediately surface as the realization sets in that you have to wipe the whole setup and go back to factory “scratch” mode. I tried to stay calm, but after several days without access to my computer during the fixing process and a lot of other things going on that needed immediate attention on line, I lost my patience and cool. I had a bad day, because I let my circumstances and thoughts about them dictate my mood.

I picked myself up quite a few times that day, only to fall back into the same mood again and again. I asked myself what I could be grateful for, found something small, to be overshadowed by my reality soon after. I had not felt this bad for a long time and decided that I was not going down that road again and letting it get a hold of me completely. In the end I dusted off my old lap top and handled the most urgent issues from a pink screen with double letters and went to have a coffee with a friend up the street. Now I appreciated the fact that I had hung on to my old laptop instead of donating it to a family member, as hubby had suggested after I bought the new one, and having a friend living so close that is often home for a chat. It is always good to listen to someone else’s problems for a bit to get your mind off your own. It makes you realize that problems are part of life and everyone has them. In hindsight they are always less dramatic, even beneficial!

This event had me annoying dear hubby to the max too, because he is my only “go to” person when it comes to computer issues. Unfortunately he is no “nerd” and knows only a little more than me, so what I am asking him to do for me is very stressful for him as well. The first attempt that took several days, failed to produce a useful result (our upset state of mind surely would not have helped), so he did it again when we both had calmed down a bit more. (mentally sending him some gratitude and appreciation once more right now)

This time worked a lot better and now, after a busy week away with extra work and little time besides breakfast to look at my screen, I can finally say that I am happily typing away again with everything I need in place. It has been a time consuming process with many hours waiting for things to download and looking through my 400 page notepad for hints to all my passwords to regain access to all my accounts. My old computer has started to cooperate a bit better in the last few days too, with the screen in a more forward position propped up on an angle that allows me to see it clearly. I have decided to leave it on the table a bit longer to watch the odd movie or lecture from my relaxation spot in the house and am grateful I pulled it out again.

Seeing that I had not had too many happy things to write about lately, let alone could write much, it was time to put a story to my blog page about an earlier event that I had wanted to write about for quite some time now.

It was not long after Winter that one of the neighbors over the back fence decided after a bad storm that it was safer to create a bonsai out of their old gum tree near their fence. Gum trees are very hardy and when cut, the stump will grow shoots again. I had always loved how that majestic tree attracted the lorikeets when in flower and I looked at them a lot from my kitchen window. I could not help but be at least a bit disappointed with their decision.

A couple of weeks later we had a beautiful sun set and all of a sudden it dawned on me that I had missed all the previous ones because the tree had blocked the view! I could now finally find appreciation for the missing tree that gave us back our sun sets!

I feel like my happy self again once more and can’t help but wonder what sort of “beautiful sun set” will be revealed shortly after the “bad” week I have just experienced. I guess what I am saying is to keep trying to look for things to appreciate and eventually all problems big or small will get solved revealing the good that comes out of it all again and again. What are your experiences with this?