Hergest Ridge

You probably remember the kids stories your mother, father, aunt and older sister used to read to you; The ones where the hero of the story starts out asking for something small, but to receive it they first have to bring something to another. To get that, they have to first bring yet another item to the character which possesses what they need to trade for what they really want. And so on…

It is in that fashion that I have found myself putting away laundry, and pausing in confusion as to why in the world I am putting away laundry when I really wanted to do work for a client instead. In this strange story, there is only one character. Two, if you consider my computer capable of asking and needing before giving.

Most of my work is better done with music, and with so much time at the computer I’m always searching for new goodies to lubricate the gray matter from which – in theory – my ideas for the work need come from. Having reached a point where I much needed something new for that effect, I happily clicked on a file who’s content I’ve yet to hear. As it often happens with computers, I promptly received a raspberry in response and not the effect I sought. Something to do with the computer being overburdened and being asked to remember too much. Too much. “Please, let me forget some of which I remember” it said. “I cannot remember any new more things, until you free me from some of the things you’ve asked me to remember thus far.”

Putting it like that, you’d think my computer is pretty intelligent. Alas, it is not. They’re all dumb.

“Sure, I’ll free you from some of your burden if you in turn remember my new music which I want to hear very much, and for which you need remember the details.”

Seeing that everything the computer had in its memory was precious to me, the Forget It button was not an option. I decided to shift some of the burden to a silver plated disc instead. It’s in the hallway, with the laundry – I remembered – by the kitchen at the front entrance. Yeah, right there in the basket… somewhere. Where’d it go? No use. Might as well put the laundry away instead of digging a tunnel through it. So there I was, now dealing with laundry when I wanted to work on a project at the desk. And if that isn’t enough, my overburdened memory convinced me that I’d remember none of this by sun down, which meant I needed to write it all now.

This isn’t so bad – I assure you. I just hope that which I seek is really in the laundry basket – that it just went for a ride down the hill of the fresh scented fabric and is now tucked in somewhere in a corner having a good laugh like a child that hid to avoid bed time.