Death Of A Kindle

Just yesterday, I experienced a very sad loss, the kind of loss that one does not get over quickly. I will feel this loss deeply and profoundly for many months to come, so much that a part of my life
may be altered forever. It’s just indescribable.

And the worst part is that it was completely unexpected. Not like one of those deaths where you slowly see it coming for weeks, or even months ahead of time. The ones where you can actually witness the life just gracefully slipping away, so that when the time actually comes, it is almost a relief and you are able to grieve and then move on. No, this was out of the blue, just one day there and the next day- poof! Gone.

I’m very sorry to say that yesterday I lost my very good friend and companion, Kindle. Amazon Kindle, to be respectful of her full name (yes, my Kindle was a girl).

R.I.P, Dear Kindle

Kindle and I have been close friends for about three years now, and during those three years, we were inseparable. I will never forget the first time that I saw her in the Aramex post office in Doha, and I just knew that we were going to be soul mates. She was beautiful- so sleek and prim, always pristine and classy. And she was the perfect complement to my crazy life- always able to follow my wherever I went without taking up much room, offering me the newest and latest things before they were available anywhere that I was. She was also speedy and efficient, which is a quality that I really value in a life partner.

Kindle and I went everywhere together- on vacations, to the hair salon (hell, to ALL of my appointments, let’s be honest.), and on long car rides. Or, we’d just hang out at home and kick back. Whatever. It didn’t matter, as long as we were together.

Unfortunately, Kindle left us much too soon. Her life was tragically ended at the hands of a semi-feral 18-month-old who apparently has STILL not yet learned anything about ownership, boundaries, or the treatment of fragile devices.

I wish that I could say something comforting, such as, “She went quickly” or “At least she didn’t suffer”, but I am afraid that is just not true. I spent an agonizing few hours with her while she wheezed and gasped, until her screen finally went dark. Too dark to read by. And then she was gone.

You're not supposed to ruin your eyes when you read it!

You may be wondering why Kindle’s death has so deeply affected me. You might say, “There are lots of Kindles out there. Surely you can find another!” but that is just not so. Where I live, in Indonesia, friends like Kindle are difficult- if not impossible- to find. And the unreliable mail service leaves me unable to search out and acquire a Mail Order Kindle.

No, Kindle was a one-of-a-kind here in Jakarta.

And now, I will have to carry on without her, doomed to a life of wandering into book stores, hoping for the opportunity to pay $30 or more for the latest book that I covet, but more often than not walking out, disappointed.

At least, until my parents come to visit us this summer and introduce me to New Kindle, that is. But that is still 12 weeks away…so…sigh.

Rest in peace, Kindle, I will miss you. I will really, really miss you. And I take comfort in knowing that a great lesson has been learned from this sad event.

I will be sure to give New Kindle a place of honor on a high, high shelf in the closet, where semi-feral tiny beings will not be able to reach!