Dealing With a Painful Loss

Something terrible befell me yesterday.

I was all set to print copies of a quiz for my public speaking & journalism summer workshop enrollees when it happened. My USB suddenly stopped functioning. All I could see on the screen was an empty space. I thought it was nothing and so I simply removed it from the pc where I was working on and moved to another pc and there it was! The screen simply confirmed what I saw from the other unit.

not the actual USB

My USB had ceased to function. It had gone ballistic and with it, all my files especially my upcoming blog feature files were all gone. All the output from weeks of staying late, all the research files, photos, all data have been erased.

Creative writing is not an activity where I simply sit down and start writing. I have to be inspired and have to wait for my creative juices (that is, if I have any, haha!) to start flowing before I can come up with something

Until now, my mind is still reeling from my carelessness. Every computer dependent’s dreaded nightmare has become a painful and heartbreaking reality for me. 

From the summer workshop modules, a commissioned course module for a certain school in Manila to my files for a consultancy project and pending training modules, all are gone into oblivion. 

If only I listened to my brother’s warning about back up files. My, oh my, the ifs and the buts.. What can I do? I can’t undo what has happened. I don’t even know to react. Should I just shrug it off and charge it to experience? Right now, I’m in a state of catatonia.

not the actual USB device

My techy friends came to the rescue and tried to salvage whatever files could be retrieved or saved. The attempt has been half a success. I mean, yes. They were able to recover bits and pieces. Even though the recovered files are just mere specks of the voluminous files that are now gone for good, I am still grateful

I hope you will have learned a lesson from my procrastination, recklessness and carelessness.

When you’re encoding a document and saving some files like photos, videos & mp3, make sure you always save them in a back up file before you keep them in your USB or other devices.

After all, you wouldn’t know if your dear reliable USB friend would go berserk and turn its back on you just when you need it the most

Now, enough of my ramblings and let’s get back to work.

Photo credits: Copyright infringement not intended