(1 min read)
We humans are adaptable creatures.
I have an ancient keyboard that I keep around because I love the clickety-click springiness of the keys. That said, it’s old, so the return key sticks. And when I say sticks, I mean at least 4-5 times per day when I hit the return key it stays down and creates a bazillion returns in the document I’m working in. And I’m a resume writer so I work in documents a lot.
This has been going on for several years.
I’ve become expert at hitting the return key at just the right angle with my pinky to keep it from sticking, and when it does stick, I can unjam it so fast the computer doesn’t even register the initial keystroke.
It’s become a daily practice – unsticking the return key. I didn’t even realize my gift until my brother sat down to use the computer to write something and started freaking out when he hit the return key and it stuttered out a dozen returns.
“Oh yeah,” I said, leaning over his shoulder. “It does that.” I popped the return key back into place.
He looked at me half concerned, half puzzled. “Seriously?”
Seriously.
Workarounds, quick fixes, jimmying, Macgyvering… We’re creative beings and that creativity can protect our laziness quite well, especially if the workaround works good enough.
We can get used to anything. We’ll put up with the jankiest of software, the clunkiest of contraptions, and the most duct-taped doo-dads imaginable, well beyond the limits of practicality, as long as we’re getting from point A to point B and nobody of importance is watching.