The rush of the 21st century.

There have been moments over the last few years when I've finally made some particular technological jump, and each time, I've felt the same ecstasy: "Ah, I've finally joined the 21st century!" I felt that way when I bought Mr. Plain(s)feminist a CD player back in 2000. I felt that way when I, somewhat reluctantly, bought a DVD player in around 2003. I felt that way when I ditched my analog cell phone and bought a digital one in 2005, and when I finally bought an MP3 player in the same year.

Mr. Plain(s)feminist recently bought me a flash drive so that I could work on a borrowed laptop last week while I was on a writing retreat. He also pointed out that it was high time that I back up my files - which I hadn't done since, oh, say, 2003, when I was writing my dissertation. And even then, I'm pretty sure I wasn't backing up anything except for my dissertation files.

Now, I know that this is not a good thing. I know that everyone should back up their files, often. Here's the thing: when I last backed up my files, 'way back in 2003, I was still using disks.

No, not cds. DISKETTES.

You youngsters may not remember diskettes, but it is impossible to get very much information on them. Thus, backing up one's files meant a little pile of diskettes, each with a portion of a particular file on it. And, it took a very long time.

So imagine my surprise when, this afternoon, I finally bit the bullet, sat down in front of the computer, and backed up all of my work on my flash drive, and then backed it up a second time on ONE (1) CD. In like, ten minutes. And then I backed up my photos on another CD. I felt so giddy at the ease and speed of the process that I then began going through all of my old diskettes, erasing them one by one - because, surely, there are a couple of others out there who still have computers that can read them - and tossing them into the trash.

So, today, yet again, I have that wonderful feeling of being one with technology: I have backed up my files, and I have done it without using diskettes.

Thank you very much, and goodnight.