Razor's edge.

"An accident happens when something that normally doesn't happen, happens."
- An oft repeated quote of 'Bansal sir'.

Where I work, its rare for electricity to break down. So rare, that they actually don't have a backup supply. But, in a perfect world, something ought to go wrong sometime, and yesterday was the time. Something went terribly wrong with the power, and it passed out; but not before displaying huge jolts of fluctuations, and making all the computers beg and plead for their lives.

Rescue was sought and after a couple of hours, the electricity was restored. But as it turned out, the computers of all others in my lab were working, but the mishap had left mine unconscious; giving me good reasons to suspect that the hard disk had crashed. Then I tried to recall when was it the last time that I had backed up my work. And well, I couldn't. Cause I hadn't, for a long long time. [Ohh, what were you doing then?? I was busy working, of course. But u see, making a backup copy is as important; when where you planning to do that? Ohh.. tomorrow !.]. I realized that it had been tomorrow for a few months now. And then I tried to think about how much it would matter, if I lost it. Or, how much time and effort would it take me to recreate the same work. Well, that was pretty much it; I reckon it was extremely unhealthy for me to think any further. Whats more sickening was that I had lost loads of important things in a similar fashion little over 5 months ago. And that I was daft enough to pull off a deja vu of the same.

So, there I was, last night, with days (and nights) of my work on a razor's edge, waiting for the morning to find out. And I had only myself to blame, for repeating the blunder the second time, even after having suffered so badly in the past.

The morning came with the good news. The hard disk had survived. And I could breathe again. Sometimes watching your computer boot up can be so life-giving. Having been given a chance to live, I made three(!) backup copies of my work immediately.

So, what started as a serious threatening, in the end actually turned out to be a gentle reminder from the heavens to put this note up at an inexcusable spot on the working desk:

"Did you back your data up today ?
No?.
Then do it, you moron !!"

.................


Don't wait for the unexpected to happen. Let there be only one day per tomorrow.
..................

"Issued in public interest."