The Catbird Seat

While I do think that human beings often need restoration, I’m pretty sure that we aren’t hardwired to do it ourselves.

It takes software to restore this woman’s heart and mind.

(I realize the many obvious applications for the word “soft” in “software,” but I hope to avoid any corniness in my metaphor. Probably a futile attempt.)

When a computer runs afoul, the first thing you need is the original software programs in order to rebuild the internal framework of the system and regain its optimal functioning.

If you have a particular task to perform, and it’s not going well (computer is sluggish, locks up or doesn’t recognize input, among many others), you often must upgrade your software to have the necessary resources to do it right.

Software can check for viruses, spam and a whole host of other computer nasties. (and delete them!) Software can equip a computer to do something it was previously unable to do. Software allows the computer to access other computers around the globe and communicate in a common voice.

The software you install often can make or break you.

Trying to do job A with software that can only do job B is only going to cause frustration and, ultimately, failure for the user. The right software can make a relatively easy task out of a difficult one.

An interesting thing about software is that it comes from an external source.

While available through variety of media, software must always be taken from an original source and then be installed into or onto another. Even the original operating system must initially be written, tested, debugged, tested again and finally installed onto the hardware of a computer.

To my knowledge (which, again, quite limited), software isn’t ever generated from within; someone must write the code that forms the basis for a software program. Ultimately, (after a series of processes that I could not begin to explain, mostly because I don’t know) a program becomes fit to equip a computer to do something.

So like God.

My OS sometimes needs rebooting with the original disks. Sometimes my brain gets so full that it’s running on overload; somehow through a program called “Grace” I can do more than I thought I was able.

Sometimes my internet connection gets wonky and my communication with people is really intermittent and tempermental, or I have difficulty receiving the information coming in. Sometimes that requires the installation of new or upgraded software applications to be able to “get” the information that’s given to me. Yeah.

And sometimes that’s not enough. Every now and then I have to pull the plug on my internet connection and then later plug it back in to restart the darn thing. That almost always does the trick.

Any way you look at it, I constantly need new and improved software to restore my aging and deteriorating computer. Never will it have “arrived”…no longer needing regular input and upgrades to function well.

Last night I got another installment of one of my favorate software applications: CJMfriendship.1.o. I just call her “Christy.”

(It actually comes bundled with other really great programs offered by God, most of which I’m not actually aware of until I need them. The version that meets my system requirements is called UPC.)

I’ve been getting weekly updates of Christy for almost a year now.

The updates just keep getting better and better. I’m able to do more, and with greater ease, because this particular software program willingly performs a lot of my tasks for me, allowing me to spend time on other equally demanding tasks.

She requires very little of my OS, but seems to function best when installed with customized settings; I alter them from time to time in order to find the optimal performance from us both. Often I discover even more features to the software that I never knew existed.

After this week’s update, I found myself especially restored and energized.

I really love this software.

I’ve heard it’s being pulled from the market this summer. I’m so sad. I think it’s being Beta-tested in another market.

It’s okay, though.

I just can’t wait to see the new features that it will have come Fall!

Filed under: General, Catbird, Like a fire, Random Thoughts, Friendship on May 31st, 2006