Delete All - Almost

There are some things I would like to delete – debt, humid weather, war, misunderstandings, some people (just kidding), cancer.  The list goes on, and is longer than I first imagined.  Think about it.

I read an article suggesting to clear space on your iPhone before downloading the newest iOS update, along with some other suggestions.  I followed the instructions.  Not being a Geek (capital G for reverence), I pray that whatever I’m attempting with technology works, and don’t usually take chances.  It’s like my cooking; I follow recipes and use a knife to level tablespoons. Pretty sad - where’s the spontaneity, the adventure?  It’s fascinating what we do, or don’t do when we feel a bit vulnerable.  I discovered in my phone storage usage that I had a massive amount of emails stored in numerous places, not to mention various outdated files.  I don’t think I’ve ever deleted emails from my Sent file.

I’m sure you know what delete means, but tech definitions are always filled with interesting facets to overlay in SELF Search mode.  Here’s Webopedia’s definition.  “Delete is to remove or erase. For example, deleting a character (I can think of a few) means removing it from a file or erasing it from the display screen.  Note that, unlike cutting, deleting does not necessarily place the removed object in a buffer from where it can be recovered.”  However, TechTarget notes that “deleted files are still intact until they are written over.”

An hour had past as I followed the instructions in preparation to update and I still found myself deleting.  Several times I thought to just press Delete All, but I had become intrigued reading some of the emails from several years ago.  For a moment, a past scenario would unfold in the present.  The situation, the emotions, the expectation – the setting surrounding the outdated email would take center stage in my mind, as the act of my memory performed.  As a scene played out, I sensed that my memory had been colored and crafted somewhat by my present position.  My now-awareness and (hopefully) deeper understanding in the present was influencing my perception of the past event.  This nuanced perception I determined to be the “written over” part of TechTarget’s definition.  Considering this further, are “written over” past events permanently erased as they originally happened?  Do remembered events shift with whatever view is held in the present? This could be an oppressive, cynical setting and “memory performance” depending on the present emotional stance.  Is present perception what causes events to be remembered differently by different individuals?

As always, the tech definitions and concepts seem to expand as you Search within them.  The Search becomes an adventure, and often too much for a single blog post.  I’m grateful I took the time to explore my memories and didn’t press Delete All. I discovered a few interesting things about myself. However, there’s one more thing I want to add to my list – housework.  Even though I call it Spa Day for the house, my perception hasn’t changed – Delete.

​The Search is on and so is the adventure. Join me.