Time's Arrow Marches, Enjoy!

After about a year on my wrist, my Braun digital watch has finally bitten the dust.

Three screws holding the back of the watch together simply fell out on my way to work, leaving most of the internals exposed and the screw holes likely stripped. While the circuitry is fun to gaze upon, it's hard to justify having a watch around that can't be worn.

This parting has made abundantly clear how temporary the technology in my life truly is.

Upgrade, Replace, Overcome?

Now I know that people, myself included, are want to swap phones and tablets every 1-3 years, laptops every 3-5, etc.

The arguments against such wanton consumerism clear. Why upgrade devices when you're most likely just doing the basics: booting up websites, playing music, or taking photos. Even for more demanding jobs, new needs don't often require new hardware.

However, recent years attempting to extend my devices' lifespans have made me anxious of every single scratch, dent, and degradation. It hurt when I found out that the battery health on my M1 MacBook Pro is 87% a year in. It sucked when the magnets inside my Peak Design backpack started shimmying out of their concealed foam slots. I was devastated when I got a few covert scratches on my iPhone 15 Pro a week in. When my computers start to slow down or show too many scuffs, I often feel the pressure to start anew to be rid of the shame.

Appreciate the Darn Thing

After staring at my recently dysfunctional watch a few times, I've conceded that there's no use getting the nice version of my favourite tools if I'm not going to use them every day. The scuffs and performance dips of time are inevitable, but the art I make and the joy I get in the interim are what make the difference.

While I'm still saddened by my Braun watch breaking, I'm happy that I got to wear a nice digital watch to work. The inverted LCD display and boxy design give it the modernity of a smartwatch with the subtlety that one often lacks. It was wonderfully different from the low-end Casio watches that were the most obvious alternative.

Caseless, If Cautious

Moving forward, I'm ready to embrace my technology as long-term wear items. I'll let my caseless phone shine. I'll put down my MacBook less gently. I'll stretch and sling my backpack to its limit.

Even the best of the best will wear out in due time. It behooves me to let loose and have fun in the meantime!