My computer has been acting up a lot lately. The WiFi cuts out on a regular basis, it freezes every few days, it’s slow, Word crashes a lot, and sometimes it gives me the “sad Mac” face. I guess I’m not surprised; it is nearly 6 years old, which might as well be 50 in computer years. Still, I’m reluctant to get a new one. When people ask me, I usually say it’s a money issue, but it’s sort of more than that. When I really think about it, I’m just too comfortable with my existing one.

In a way, it’s like moving into a new home. I hate moving, even when that move is an obvious improvement. Like a cat, my home becomes my territory and I get comfortable in my own space. When I move, I feel jolted. It takes me weeks, sometimes even months, to feel that level of comfort in the new place.

A computer is a space too. It’s a digital one rather than a physical one, but it’s a space nonetheless. I work online, so I spend a lot of time on the computer, so this is kind of important. I know where everything is, all my files are organized and ordered the way I like them, and everything I need is installed. The keyboard feels comfortable, even if the writing on the “N” key is completely worn away. Mostly though, I’m just used to it. The idea of getting a new laptop gives me the same feeling I get when I have to move. I’m not sure I’m ready for it yet.

I’ll eventually get a new computer and when I do, I’ll get used to it. It will become my digital “home.” I just don’t think that time has come just yet.