Packing this afternoon for

3/17/10 -- Packing this afternoon for the trip to Israel it occurred to me that my entire career -- and in some ways a hefty representation of my entire life -- is housed in my laptop: multiple writing projects, slide presentations for author visits, email folders containing crucial information, photographs, music, my calendar. It is both a wonder that so much can be contained is such a small and portable piece of electronic wizardry, and at the same time a terror. It's going with me halfway around the world. What if it doesn't make it back? Sure, I back everything up. But still, as much as I love my MacBook Pro, there are moments -- packing for example -- when I find myself wishing I wasn't so attached to it. Then the moment passes, I give my computer a hug, and thank my lucky stars it's mine.