Yes. It’s time to update some software releases. Again. I’m sure they are necessary, but the timing sure stinks. Or does it? For a little while, at least, the tools (that’s what my electronics mean to me) in my normal world are not usable.
Hmmm. Think that through for a moment.
Maybe it’s time for a break. If it’s cold, coffee, anyone? If it’s hot, there’s nothing better than a fountain with fresh cold water!
Let’s take time to upgrade and refresh at the same time.
I have three computers, two tablets, several smaller devices that are ancient and seldom updated, and my phone. If I count the number of updates per week, I would suggest two computer updates, and not every computer gets the same update, although they are all on the same operating system. All my other devices probably get one upgrade per month.
It’s not just about the updates required but also the changes they bring.
A song starts, “I swear…,” but I don’t. So, I won’t talk with questionable language about the app’s updates. I’m tired of all the changes but know they are necessary. Some keep me safe by patching holes. Others add new functionality. Still, some changed everything about the tool of choice and started me wondering if it’s worth keeping the app around. Since most apps have my data, I want them to be safe so my identity stays safe.
While on a social platform webinar, the expert stated there were 1,100 versions of their app. Wow. Why? A version existed for every computer, tablet, phone, browser, hardware, country, and language. They had to have software unique to each environment! Imagine the programmer’s nightmare!
Pause a moment. Maybe that’s what we are missing in our lives—a pause to take at the moment and consider what is needed.
I’m acknowledging that I take many pauses throughout the day. Life’s a jumbled mess, and getting lost in the weeds is easy.
Look around 360 degrees, within and without. How are you doing? Relationships. Habits. Goals. Perspectives. Outlook. Health. Strength. Mentally. Emotionally. Spiritually.
If it’s time for changes, the pause could open up doors to updates.
If no changes are needed, perhaps you need only a refreshing of where you are to know where you need to go.
David cried to God, “Create a clean heart and renew a right spirit with me. (Psalms 51:10) What did the prophet Isaiah say? “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength…” (Isaiah 40:31) Jeremiah prayed to God for Israel’s days to be renewed as of old. (Lamentations 5:21) The writer of Hebrews instructed us to renew unto repentance. (Hebrews 6:6)
Updates In My World
I’m all for keeping something until it’s worn out and good for nothing but filling it full of concert and making a boat anchor. But I’m not sure we have anything that doesn’t require updating or replacement.
Computers keep changing so rapidly that you are better off replacing them every three years or so because the apps and internet tools keep upgrading daily. The requirements for memory, hard drive, or processing speed keep evolving.
Even with my background in IT (since 1972), I’ve seen changes in hardware, software, languages, and tools. The industry used to be called DP (Data Processing) but changed somewhere along the way to IT (Information Technology.) Even the size of computers has changed! What used to fill a room now fills the palm of my hand.
The internet has become the driving force. Since my AOL, CompuServe, and JUNO days in the ’90s, we’ve seen the dynamic growth of data access via the internet. Dial-up modems were slow! WiFi is speedy! Dedicated data lines are normal. My internet now comes from a satellite dish called “Star Link.”
In the mid-70s, I managed a mainframe computer room and took home a Texas Instrument Silent 700 with a built-in phone modem. It used thermal paper, and printing out console messages or debugging a program often took longer than a drive into the office required. But it was blazing new technology.
Take my truck. It’ll be 20 years owned by me in August (2023), and it has over 333,000 miles on it. A few repairs required new parts (water pump, alternator, muffler) and many brake pads and tires that wear out over a prescribed number of miles. I’ve updated the stereo so I can use my phone technology easier. Let’s see a new driver-side seat cover and head/tail lamps because the old ones were dingy.
When I bought the truck, the Cummins Diesel engine was touted as having a million-mile life span. I’m hoping I get to see the odometer roll over. Of course, back then, diesel was 1.45 per gallon… Today? Hoovering around five dollars. With EVs taking over the car world, I may not see 1,000,000 miles on my truck. Time will tell.
My bride’s new truck is a rolling computer with wheels and an engine. It has periodic updates and requires shop time to keep everything humming.
I yearn for an old car (updated components are ok) with a standard transmission with 3-on-the-tree or 4-on-the-floor. Must have A/C. But I would be happy with no computers! I would even hand-crank my windows open and closed.
Relationships? It’s wise to consider how things are going on all fronts, including those with people you connect to. I’m not telling you what I do, but there are some I need to let go of, others I need to reconnect with, and, most importantly, some I need to strengthen.