Breaking Up With my PC

Break ups are hard.  
Break ups are not fun.
Break ups may be a necessity in letting go.

This may seem melodramatic but I need to find the courage to be the one to break up, with my laptop.

You see I was generously gifted a new MacBook Pro for my birthday in December and I have hardly given any attention to it.  

I've taken advantage of the support offered from Apple to learn how to migrate to the new platform, taken three different classes to learn how to navigate and still I'm typing this post on my well loved PC.

One of the geniuses at the Apple store made a comment that has stuck with me over the last month.  They said "The biggest challenge for those switching from PC to Mac is fear, being afraid of making mistakes."

  

I gulped back my desire to scoff at that remark and say, "What me afraid to make mistakes?  To take a risk trying something unfamiliar?  Not me....ugh"

But here I am on my Acer, comfortably typing, backspacing, scrolling with such unconscious familiarity while my shiny new MacBook lays in wait.

My PC laptop is old in technology years and has served me and my girls well.  Honestly, I've been saying for months that I need to shop for a new one.  It has a habit of pausing aka freezing amid multiple keystrokes and I hold my breath hoping it recovers and all that I had been working on is still in tact.

My laptop is the size of a refrigerator compared to my MacBook.  It's keyboard is bigger, which makes typing on the MacBook frustrating because I have to look at where I put my hands.  (First world problem)

My MacBook is like a bigger version of my Iphone.  No loss of contacts.  No concern about all my music. No repopulating my calendar.  Poof I simply signed into my Itunes account and magically everything was there.  No stress.  (I may have murmured showoff under my breath when that happened within 5 minutes of turning it on)

Then there is the Mac software that tries to pretend its MSOffice.  You mean to tell me that I don't need tabs of document formatting options that I very rarely use?  Don't even get me started on comparing spreadsheet software, Excel versus Numbers.  You are telling me I can not use complicated formulas that I used to use all the time?  (harumphing Amateur even while knowing I can buy MSOffice for Mac)

I realize that this may seem all very over the top.  I get that.  Converting from PC to Mac is like switching religions, there is an ingrained trust and tradition that has been built up over the years.  Being so intimately familiar with what to expect when I turn on my PC then waiting, waiting, waiting for it to fire up is just the delayed reaction procedure so I can have a couple sips of coffee.  Versus opening up my Mac and like a dog who heard you said "walk" its ready to sign in.  

Truthfully, I wish my laptop had simply froze and didn't recover; then the conversion would be easier, I'd feel less disloyal, I'd feel justified, I'd feel free to switch teams and never look back.  Yet I'm grateful that my laptop did not die, I'm grateful that I didn't have that stress of calling 911 or perform CPR so that I could get all of my files off of it.

Despite the evidence I've just shown you and confirmed for myself by writing out the differences.  I find that my resistance calls for something with more finality. Hence, the break up.

I've admitted that I am attached to my PC.  

I will admit that I'm attracted to the sexy new Mac, and when I do use it I feel like I'm cheating on my Acer.  UGH

I have to let go of my relationship with the old and embrace being romanced by the new laptop.  

Admittedly this is a bit foreign to me.  I've a longstanding reputation of being able to let go of physical things with peace, love and gratitude.  Why this situation feels different, while inherently I know there is no difference between this piece of electronics than the upteen bags of clothes, furniture, other things I've let go in the past.

So what is stopping me from moving forward?

Well I have to also admit that the Apple Genius was right.  I'm fearful of making mistakes on the new Mac, I'm a little resentful that I have to relearn what I already know by rote, I'm a wee bit sad that I no longer have to navigate circular referenced formulae in Excel.  I've changed, my computer needs have changed, and this change has me resisting.

And this was a great lesson for me.  

On Monday I had a One to One session booked to help to get to know my Mac even better.  The Apple Genius slash therapist, listened as I spoke about my resistance, he kept using phrases like "Let's do it this way to lessen your stress".  

In 60 minutes I had brought over a good chunk of my files and admittedly was  more confident in committing to my Mac.  His understanding helped, his sales pitch on why I will learn to love the Mac was valuable, his support and guidance has me typing the balance of this post on my new shiny laptop, in pages versus Word, whilst my PC lays dormant beside me.

I've not discarded my PC, there are plenty more files that I need to transfer over, however that session with the Genius helped me move away from the default.  Move away from the fear.  And moved me toward gratitude.

I'm grateful for the service my Acer provided.  I'm super grateful that it is still alive, well and functional.  My gratitude has superimposed that feeling of disloyalty.  Thanks to taking the step to learn more about my mac and actually bring my files over, that was the clean break I needed to let go.

I've accepted that this change is not only necessary but I've created the space within and welcomed it.  

Just like any break up, its hard to admit that the relationship isn't working anymore.  There is still that sense of mourning the loss of all the good times.  There is that feeling of fondness for how the relationship added value to my life.  However I do know that its time to let go and it feels better to do so in order to devote my attention to my new relationship.  

Mac sitting atop the PC :)

With Gratitude,
Sherry

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