So my computer, bless its little electronic heart, is almost five years old now. It has been a loyal and hardworking device - it even went all the way to Ireland and back with me - but it is, in technology time, now ancient. And jank.
It has been in and out of the shop pretty steadily for three years now, is on its third battery and second charger... But now it needs a another one. So while my laptop is down for the count until I can get a new charger, some of the blog posts I had in mind (particularly with pictures) are on the back burner. (I am typing this on my smart phone, yay technological oversaturation!)
However, this jankiness brings me to one of my students, who seriously needs to develop a filter. I was laughingly explaining my computer's issues to my class (no battery life and unreliable internet access has an adverse affect on trying to present computer-based activities to discuss), and one student asked me, straight-faced, with no self-awareness at all, "Do you just not have enough money to get a new computer?"
I know college freshmen these days prize laptops over their own mothers, and with BU being an extremely expensive undergrad program, most non-scholarship students have probably never had to worry about money, but really?!? REALLY.
After staring at him in shock and kind of sputtering for a minute, I finally responded with, "Are you trying to ask me if I'm too poor for a computer?" (which possibly wasn't the most professional answer). I then explained to this clueless homo sapien that being in my fifth year of college and paying rent for a Boston apartment means that until mine bites the dust entirely, a new computer isn't exactly at the top of my list.
Of course, if he wants to donate a shiny new Mac to his pitiful, clearly impoverished TA, I wouldn't stop him. I mean he could always write it off his taxes...
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