I wanted my devices to stay perfect forever
Earlier this year, I bought a MacBook Air M4. It was the most expensive piece of technology I had ever bought.
For the first few months, I was careful whenever I carried it. I cleaned it constantly. I tried to keep it looking exactly like the day I opened the box.
I told myself it was because I wanted to protect the resale value. But honestly, that was just an excuse. Deep down, I just wanted it to stay perfect.
Maybe what I actually liked about a new device was not the device itself. Maybe I liked the feeling before I had any regrets about it. A new laptop felt like a fresh start.
Then one day, I found a deep scratch on the bottom of the laptop.
It was on the bottom, so nobody else would notice it. It did not affect anything.
But every time I cleaned my laptop, I saw that mark and felt a strange sense of regret. It felt like I had ruined something valuable. Like I had been careless with something I should have protected.
The funny thing is, I don't actually believe that. A laptop is a tool. It exists to help me build things. This machine is where I write code, learn, and experiment with ideas.
Maybe I have been thinking about it the wrong way.
The purpose of a tool is not to stay pristine forever. The scratches, worn keys, and imperfections are proof that something was actually used.
I still like taking care of my things. There is nothing wrong with that.
But I want to remember why I bought them in the first place.
Not to keep them perfect forever.
To use them.