MARCH 16 — As I write this, I had just spent the past 36 hours trying to figure out why my trusty laptop decided to die on me.

Afraid that I’d burnt through a RM2,000 investment, I decided to let it sort itself out as the machine continued on a perpetual “shutting down” state.

In those 36 hours, I could have:

1.  Finished a side project that I had been meaning to work on,

2.  Done some housekeeping on my laptop to avoid such an incident from happening, or;

3.  Written this column.

 I’m so dependent on this machine that a little glitch had caused me to waste so much time when the solution—which I finally got the gumption to attempt towards the end of the 36-hour impasse—was simply a hard reset.

In other words, I had to force the machine to turn off before I could start using it again.

I’m obviously elated that I can once again use my trusty work companion, but the ordeal has helped me put some things in perspective.

I’m sure it’s happened to all of us at some point of time in our work:

“OHMYGODMYCOMPUTERDIEDICAN’TGETANYTHINGDONE!!!”

Well, sure it puts a damper on your work. And for certain critical matters, your machine is the only thing that can get the job done.

But in most cases, it’s ultimately just an inconvenience.

After the initial panic, it behooves you to find a solution.

Is your smartphone linked up to your work email? How about using that device to send that time sensitive and critical email to save your own behind?

Need to print out something urgently so that it can be sent for processing or faxed over to a client? How about borrowing your colleague’s computer for a couple of minutes?

And if there is absolutely nothing that can be done? Why kill yourself over it? Go get some coffee (or a beer) and calm down.

Our expectations of technology are borderline ridiculous, that we forget that everything breaks down. And let’s be honest, just because your link in the system fails doesn’t mean the entire system is going to collapse.

It’s nice to think that we are indispensable, but we really are only as important as our place in work or life.

Just like how some men complained that there should be an International Men’s Day, according to a friend.

Apparently a few guys commented on one of her Facebook posts promoting International Women’s Day last March 8, arguing that everything revolves around women and men aren’t appreciated enough.

Right.

Nevermind that women, for example, only earned full voting rights in the latter half of the 20^th century in the United States, and that communities the world over still blame women for being the very reason they are raped.

AND THERE IS AN INTERNATIONAL MEN’S DAY. It’s on November 19.

And just like my trials and tribulations with my laptop—nobody gives a damn.

So let’s just get over ourselves and do what we’re supposed to do, shall we?

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.