PRIORITIES

BY DAN MILLER
(originally posted January 17, 2005)

Over the weekend, I took my computer to have some extra RAM installed.

Don't ask me what RAM is..... I always thought it was a goat-like animal that butts heads with other goat-like animals.... or, a particular brand of pickup truck.

But my computer has been running at a snail's pace lately, and people who actually know a little about computers kept telling me -- when your computer is running slow, extra RAM is the answer.

Anyhow, as I was preparing to head over to the RAM shop (computer store) I thought -- since computers are quite expensive -- I'd better use the seatbelt to strap the computer into the passenger seat, in case I have to stop suddenly.

So both going and coming home, I securely belted that machine into the seat.

When I got home, it dawned on me that while I had strapped in the computer with a seatbelt, I had neglected to use my own seatbelt.

Hmmmm... if there had been an accident, would protecting that often-annoying machine be more important to my family than protecting my often-annoying self?

Was this evidence of misguided priorities?

When I went inside, my little girl ran to me and said she was glad I was home, and told me she loved me.

She wanted to show me a picture she had drawn last week in school.

Funny.... she didn't say anything about the computer being home...... or that she had missed it...... or that she wanted to show it anything. I have serious doubts whether she even noticed it had been gone.

From now on, I think I'll strap myself in first, then worry about the electronic stuff.

By the way, the computer does run considerably faster with the newly added RAM.

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