I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

I had a bit of a frustrating week. My personal laptop died right when I moved to Missouri, and the laptop I was borrowing from my supervisor died this week. Granted, my laptop was 4 years old, and his laptop had just gotten back from the shop for doing the very same thing it ended up doing with me (in other words, I'm not in trouble for breaking anything), but it was really hard to be a broke grad student without a computer. I need a computer to write sermons, answer congregant's e-mails, figure out where hospitals are so I can make visits, and of course check my facebook account...

Anyway, just as I was starting to feel sorry for myself, three miraculous things occurred. One, my roommate Kent let me use his computer while he's at work or doing other things around the apartment, and I've been able to get by. Two, my dad and stepmom sent me a check to help cover the costs of a new laptop. And three, my friend Damienne sent me the following obituary, which made me laugh. A lot. In other words, just when I was feeling alone and cut off from the world, I realized that I wasn't alone at all. That's a pretty good feeling.

Without further ado, the obituary...

As we gather here to mourn the passing of our friend Anne's computer, let us call to mind all of the times shared... the good times, the bad times, the viruses, the lame emails, the occasional weird porn pop-ups when searching for something about sugar or babies... Eternal Computer Friend... be with Anne as she seeks to find meaning and comfort ... surrounding her loss - and alleviate any anxiety she might have about retrieving data... be with her as she travels the road of researching a new computer and figures out how to pay for it... and most of all, dance with her in her joy as she discovers the blessings of upgrades since her life was last enriched by the acquisition of her current, yet now deceased computer. We call upon the trinity of Microsoft, Apple and PC to surround our sister with knowing she has plenty of support - technical, information or emotional. Help her Obi Wan, you are her only hope...