Of laptops and men

If this entry doesn't take the cake for what my blog embodies, then nothing else will. The following story is entirely true.

For many years, I have desired a laptop. One that I could tote around with me to school, to coffee shops, to...anywhere. I've always wanted one, but never had the finances to splurge on one. Besides, I've had access to a desktop computer, and essentially though I really wanted a laptop, I didn't need a laptop.

However, as I progressed in school, the want actually turned into a need. On my 22nd birthday, a friend from work gave me her husband's old lap top. Unfortunately, it was the first laptop ever invented. It was old, ancient, rickety, prone to crashing, working slow and sometimes when I'd plug in the little card to connect to the Internet, it failed. This created a few embarrassing situations, and soon enough, the ancient lap top was rendered useless for school use.

Enter.....Mr. Client from my job at the veterinary clinic. Mr. Client is a retired dentist, and as is natural, was curious about my schooling, as I was slowly progressing into the medical world. One fateful day that got the ball rolling was a discussion on computers, and which ones were the best deal. We both decided that Macbooks were the way to go, and on his way he went.

Weeks later, Mr. Client comes back to the clinic with the proclamation that he has bought himself a Macbook. I ooed and awwed and congratulated him, and then, he tells me that he'd like to buy one for me.

I declined.

He then buys me a $1000 gift card from Apple so that I too may enjoy having a Macbook of my very own. Mind you, I have had zero, zilch, zip interaction with this man outside of work. So why then, give me this rather expensive gift? Because he once was a poor college student and he knows what it's like to be in my shoes. (.........)

Months passed by, and I simply could never be that selfish enough to just go and buy myself a laptop no matter how much I wanted it. It just never felt right. Friends and family encouraged me to just use it, or sell it. One suggested that I sell it and go to Hawaii with them. Try as I might though, I never had a good feeling about it, so I just left it in its envelope.

One evening, I get a call at home (how he got my number is beyond me) but he kindly requested the gift card back if I was not going to use it. Feeling as if a burden was lifted, I promptly mailed it back to his vacation home where he was wintering.

I was free and clear.

This past Tuesday, I officially decided that I was going to just buy a super cheap lap top to use for school this semester when I begin science pre-requisites as part of the Nursing program I one day intend on enrolling in. (For those of you who didn't know this....surprise!)

That afternoon, Mr. Client saunters into the clinic wearing dark aviator glasses. It's been months since I've seen him, and the first thing that he asks upon seeing me is if I'd settle for something other than a Macbook. I tell him that yes, actually, I'm planning on buying a Johnny-Cheap-o laptop.

He then tells me, (all while wearing those sun glasses)

"I may have something for you"

That being said, he tells me all about this laptop he has that is about a year and a half old of which he has no  further use for.  He did mention that it was first up for grabs to his brother-in-law, and I tell him that obviously family should always come first. (I immediately begin to imagine what piece of junk he's trying to pawn off to me)

He responds:

"You're practically family"

. . .

Today, he comes into the clinic, and says to the receptionists:

"Where's my little girl?"

Sounds coy, but guess what.... HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW MY NAME!!

The receptionists giving him a hard time ask him why they're not referring to them, and he simply tells them that they're his "mature girls" ......haha!!

Well, the receptionists bring me back this gorgeous barely used lap top, in amazing shape. In fact, I'm writing this little story with it right now.

So maybe this is a lesson.....you can always settle for less, but in the end, waiting is oh so much better.

Happy girl
:)