The Machine Life

I was 17 when I saw the Windows Login screen for the first time in my life. The small green strip that ran in a rectangular box below the Windows XP Logo was the best thing that attracted me. This was my first glimpse into the world of technology. In my first day in the computer lab I felt myself in a small space surrounded by sophisticated man made machines that were ready to receive instructions from the human species.

The main reason that made me chose Computer Science was not the money or fame that Software Engineers earned during the start of the 21st century. I was fascinated by the way people typed without looking into the keyboard. I was the only guy who came to the conclusion that Typing skills can be acquired only if u become a Software Engineer. That’s how I chose Software Engineering as my career.

At the start of my career I showed more interest in learning what to do and how to do it kind of stuff using computers. Computers were like drugs for me, the more i used them the more i got addicted to them. I spend long hours in front of computers either playing games or browsing. 3 years passed by and a lot of things changed. I was ready to move towards the next level of my career, Post Graduation in Computer Applications.

Things took a different turn for me when I attended a Personality Development Session. The guy who took the class told us to think abt the good habits as well as some good things that we have discarded or lost way back in our life. I went home that day, rather than sitting in front of the computer I put some thought into this question. I asked myself “What good qualities did I discard /lose during the past years?” I asked myself for many days until I got a well structured answer.

I have lost many things since I have entered into the world of technology. Before being introduced into the computer world I read a lot of books, books that have influenced many, books that made me feel for something, books that raised my imagination. But now since computers have come to my life I have stopped reading and I have lost that feel for things. I have stopped reading newspapers. I still remember my old days when we friends played cricket in our paddy field during our summer holidays. Those games are now replaced by computer games. Earlier I was updated about each and everything that happened in this world by referring either magazines, journals and everything. Before my graduation I used to visit our local Library. Our Local Library was my biggest treasure. I made a sigh when I realized about the immense lose that has incurred to me.

We all interact with computers for at least 8 to 10 hours in a day. Frequent interaction with a machine makes us behave like a machine. This life is what I call “The Machine Life”. Some of us might have lost our good habits/good relations as a result of leading this Machine Life. Computers are a must in our life, but we must realize that more interaction or more usage to anything will lead us to nothing but worry. This realization made myself restrict the use of computers. I have started all the good habits that I have left behind. Rather than spending all those chunk time browsing I spend time reading good books. I was evolving as a machine thru all these years. Finally I have broken the chains of the Machine Life and have entered into a world where imagination and spirituality guides me rather than technology.