On Hard Drives and Kindness

Sorry for the radio silence around here. Besides a terribly busy week, my laptop's hard drive crashed! I'd been getting the rainbow wheel lately, and ignored it, and then yesterday I got the dreaded blue screen of death! When I took it to the Apple Store, they ran diagnostic tests and about 5 employees asked me if I'd backed up my files. Backed up? Nope. No backing up over here. My external hard drive died a few years ago and I never bothered replacing it. The whole scene reminded me of this Sex and the City episode:

When they told me none of my data was recoverable, I started crying in the middle of the mall's packed Apple Store. Yep. Private tears in public spaces. Mortifying. I know it's not the end of the world, but I've been so tired that my coping skills are way down, and the result was a breakdown when I realized that all my precious photos and years of files are gone forever. Poof.

Thankfully, the woman helping me was a saint. She squeezed my hand, telling me this happened to her once, and to take it as a lesson learned, it sucks, but it's okay. She helped me see the positives: a brand new hard drive for a brand new year, getting the newest operating system, I'm still under their extended warranty (thank god!), and no more worries after today. She took AppleCare to a whole new level. It was a tender moment and a small gesture, but her kindness means so much. Surrounded by stone-faced holiday shoppers, bustle, and sleek machinery, she was a quiet example of good will and the true spirit of the season.

Friends, back up your hard drives and be soft with others.