Last week my computer crashed. Yes, that dread phrase appeared on the screen, then nothing else happened. After 10 days in the shop and more than a thousand dollars to get it out of hock (because I didn't want to get a new computer and deal with Windows VISTA), I'm back online.
I learned something from this experience. First of all, I depend much more on having my own computer than I ever realized. Using my husband's didn't feel right. I couldn't compose on his with any ease. All of my bookmarks and passwords were missing. I didn't have unlimited access to it either. I felt cut off from the larger world I had been part of and had taken for granted.
I also realized I was as addicted to checking my email as anyone else.