The Early Death of All My Machines2 min read
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A few months before thinking of retirement, I totaled our two cars.
I ran my reliable, sporty Mazda 3 into a utility pole.
Then I stepped out of my wife’s lovely Prius, and it ran down a hill and slammed into a tree.
Was somebody trying to tell me something?
Well, we then bought a Nissan Leaf and couldn’t be happier.
It’s electric, works great, and no gas bills. All is well in the world!
But I shouldn’t have celebrated so soon.
Soon after, our garbage disposal went on the fritz and had to be replaced.
Immediately after that, our dishwasher died.
And then my wife’s HP printer stopped printing.
Our old machines were being replaced with bright new shiny ones.
But then, just after Thanksgiving, our furnace gave up the ghost.
And no sooner had we replaced that when our refrigerator bit the dust on Friday.
A shiny new LG cooling machine entered its new home today.
Now I’m thinking, “What the hell is next?”
I’m betting on my 14-year-old Power Mac.
All I know is that when my next machine gives up the ghost, I won’t even be surprised.
Can any of this have to do with me reading the Tao Te Ching a lot recently?
Is it trying to tell me something or is it testing and mocking me?
“Ha, you’re trying to be a spiritual being. I’ll show you!”
In verse 29 it says:
Do you want to improve the world?
I don’t think it can be done.
The world is sacred.
It can’t be improved.
If you tamper with it, you’ll ruin it.
If you treat it like an object, you’ll lose it.
Is it telling me that I’m addicted to my machines, and out of touch with life?
Is it a message that we shouldn’t rely on all these machines?
Should I just give them all up and go live in a mud hut by the side of my river?
Well, who knows, it could happen!
Meanwhile, life goes on.
Have a happy, fulfilling holiday season with your loved ones.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Oops, I think my Christmas lights just shorted out.
Cheers, Robert
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