Monday, June 11, 2012

With Unbearable Sadness, I Say Goodbye

First, I will start with the truth. It's been a long, haphazard haul for me and Kobo.

We came together about a year ago. At first, it was rocky. I didn't want to recognize the importance of him. He was too stubborn to accommodate all my needs, even though he reassured me he could. There were lost documents, synching issues, formatting errors and, worst of all, files he simply wouldn't read. Not to mention the communication issues. How was I supposed to understand the difference between 'sleep mode' and 'power off'?

But then we hit our stride. I changed for him. I only used RTF and EPub, made sure to charge him often, and told him on a daily basis how much easier he made my life. And, in return, he didn't fail me. He made my life easier. You see, he opened my eyes to the possibility that BETA reading didn't have to be a chore. We found a groove.

Me - sitting on the exercise bike peddling away.
Him - perched on the bike, allowing me to read as I worked.

Unfortunately, like so many great relationships in life, ours has come to an end. Too soon, really. The hardest part is that this is all out of my control now. You see, Kobo wasn't built to withstand me. I play rough. I'm clumsy. Accidents happen.

Sadly, in this day and age, there is no room for oopsies with technology.

Up until this point it has been unbearable to talk about, but today I found the courage to come here and tell you my story. And to pass along the news that Kobo is no more. We spent one last wonderful night together, cuddled up in bed, him pleasing me, and me taking what he had to offer. It got late. Maybe I was too selfish. Exhaustion crept in. My eyes closed. Safety precautions were not taken. And the light went out.

The next morning, tragedy struck.

Like the careless baboon I am, I rolled over and crawled out of bed. This is where it gets hard to recount. In the process my Neanderthalic knee crunched down on Kobo...the sound was horrifying. A gritting, crunchy, snappy sound that will be ingrained on my brain forever. Instantly, I knew.

Kobo was dead.

There were tears - mine. But I assure you, Kobo did not suffer. He was gone too quick. It was painless. I've kept his lifeless body on my night stand in hopes he'd come back to me, but I fear there are no miracles to bring him back. It is times like these that I am hit with the cold, hard reality that there really is no magic in this world. What comprises the stories I weave and read does not really exist at all.

It is time to say goodbye, though they are so hard to utter. But the healing must start.

Please do not think I will be rushing out to try and replace Kobo. At this point, I don't think he can be. No, he meant too much to me. We fought through so much together. The ups and downs will be remembered fondly. And he will be missed.

Here is where I plead you to take care of your loved one. Always remember, safety first. I would hate for something like this to happen to you.

 


9 comments:

Simon B said...

The demise of Kobo...
should be accompanied by oboe.

JessFortunato said...

This was utterly fantastic to read. RIP dear one, you were too good for this world. :)

S. M. Boyce said...

You are just too funny.

Sorry to hear about Kobo, may he rest in peace. Hopefully, they have chargers in eReader heaven.

RobRow said...

Will you have him cremated?

Rebecca Lochlann said...

Now move to Kindle!

Tee said...

Thank you for all your condolences on this very tender and heartbreaking subject. I can only hope you never have to experience something like this with your beloved EReaders.

Exmoorjane said...

Mine is cracked. Always has been. This pleases me. Sorry for your loss.

Tee said...

Sadly, mine won't even power on. Ruined! Dead! :(

F said...

So sorry for your loss. It was heartbreaking when my first Nook suffered a minor screen crack. I'm much more shallow than you; I was on the phone with customer service for a replacement the next morning. (I don't know what happened, I suspect the temperature change between a cold car and a house, though it was off at the time.)

I do love my Nook, though. Do you have those in Canada? I even got a spare battery for my first edition now that they're trying to do away with it. (Though sometimes I admire the sleekness of Em's second edition.)

Also, I suspect you are the sort of person the extra "accidental damage" warranty was invented for.