Sometimes life has a way of forcing you to move out the old and move in the new. Of course, I am one who moves kicking and screaming and really did not want to move the old out until I was forced to do so last week when my old legacy computer took a turn to the dark side.

In spite of being up on and on top of most things involving technology, personally, I had a fondness for a certain computer that was — yes was — old, cantankerous and quite problematic. Perhaps it reminded me of myself on its slow days and then it would have days when it worked exceptionally well. Then again, perhaps it was the billions and billions of files I’ve been slinging around since the early 90s. Yes, whenever I changed computers I carried everything from those old drives with me. It did not matter how often — if ever — I actually looked at those old files, I just kept them and carried them from one computer to the other.

In recent years, knowing and understanding the changes in technology, I still refused to give up those old PATA drives. I refused to consider Vista, did not want to change from Office 2003, and as a result, did everything I could to hold on to computers and software — patches, boards, controllers, software, whatever — that would keep me in the old and not with the new. I loved that computer and invested blood, sweat and tears in keeping it just so I could run old software.

Last week, one of those old drives began failing. Thankfully, I was able to begin backing up the drive but I had a little difficulty finding an EIDE drive. With the new EIDE drive, I went to install it and found another problem, the motherboard showed signs of failing and I believe this is why the drives failed. I worked feverishly to stop the inevitable from happening before finally giving up and accepting my fate. It was time to move on.

Truth is, I’ve been through hell these past few years and holding onto the past has been comforting. Looking forward to the future, in my mind, meant giving up the past and memories. But, let’s be honest, your progress is impeded when you live like that. I had to settle into that reality when I saw all of my past disintegrating right before my eyes. It was done, I might add, in full-out Angela fashion which was quite funny and I had to laugh in spite of myself.

First, I knew this was going to happen some weeks ago when I found myself reminiscing about what happened many years ago when a hard drive failed. At the time I did not see this as a premonition but it was. I remembered how I stumbled upon a phone number I did not know I had. I called the number and though the voice was different than expected, I left a message. Later, my hard drive crashed and I lost data.

After replacing the drive, strangely I could not find the backup disk used for Outlook. Two years passed before I finally found that CD and immediately, I restored the data. Again, looking to the past, I called that number to find it disconnected but a new number was given. I noted it for future reference. What happened? The hard drive crashed again and this time I had not backed up my Outlook.

I replaced that hard drive and when I pulled the CD used to restore my Outlook I found the disk corrupt and it would not load the data. Oh well. So much for reconnecting with the past and I read the experience as an omen to leave well enough alone.

After reminiscing about that very strange hard drive crash, I thought about all of the junk I had stored on my old legacy computer and how some of the mess had me hog tied to the past. I made a mental note to look at the files and delete whatever I no longer needed. Of course, I did not do this and when I booted up last week to find it moving at a snail’s pace I knew the prophecy of two weeks prior was coming to fruition. It’s amazing what I found important at that point. I backed up all childhood photos, music, my Outlook files, photographs, and a few other little things. What was left behind were some of those old files and old memories.

Finally, gone is my love affair with Windows XP. I have now moved on to Vista and will look forward to the move to Windows 7. For those who know me, saying I look forward to any new Windows operating system or gasp, Office 2007, might cause some to faint. I have been quite happy living with old software, old equipment, and old thinking. No, it is now time for me to move on and that I did.

Quite frankly, doing this — kicking and screaming — enabled me to throw out some things, clear away unnecessary mess from my desk, clean my office and spend time thinking about what I will do next — new hardware, software, leading edge stuff I need to look at or think about. Yes, it’s time for me to come out of my hole and I think I’ll have a legacy burning party. I have already destroyed the plates in those hard drives which means I will never see those old files again. Now, I have turned my attentions to older 3.5 inch disks, my older IBM computer. Those old books and software sitting on my shelves are in garbage bags because the new computer will not run those old files. GONE!!!

Yes, the above refers to a computer but it has a lot to do with how I have been dragging my feet in the direction of change. Hanging on to the past impedes your progress and it wasn’t until I began the update process that I realized how out-of-the loop I was on so much.

It’s time and so, with that, out with the old and in with the new.