My morning walks are frequently interrupted by long periods of procrastination. When I do get going, it will continue uninterrupted until something comes around to break the habit. A couple of years ago during the peak of covid, this was a daily habit. On those walks I would see other people walking at the same time. As you pass them by daily, you develop a strange bond of acknowledgement with these strangers. One set of people I would acknowledge daily was an older couple, both very lean and lanky. They looked like their cares of the world were done. They always walked together in rhythm and we would cross each other twice on the round of the park. There would always be a wave, a hello and a smile at each crossing. I would spend a few minutes thinking of them and how they fit so comfortably with each other..

After a good break, I started my walks again. Today, as I was walking, I saw the lady in front of me by herself. It took us both a moment to acknowledge each other, and it seemed like the gap of all these days just got filled. She looked a bit sad, and I couldn't help thinking what had happened to her better half. I, of course, couldn't stop and ask her as we had never crossed the formal introduction bridge. I wondered if she had lost her partner in this gap. It made me sad to see her there without her partner.. I moved past her quickly as my emotions welled up.

Then as I looked up, behind her was another lady walking her dog and right behind that lady was the better half of my walking buddy and a gentleman discussing the numerous Indian stores around us. Now I understood why my buddy was a bit sad...

All is well in my walking world now..

 My almost new Google Pixel Pro suffered a wild mishap last week that left me searching in the dark corners of my bank account. Repair costs were high , and the idea of just buying a new one was very unappealingly staring me in the face.

I decided to get all DIY-savvy and researched Ifixit products, purchasing the Pixel Pro repair kit. With all the knowledge of a potato in a chemistry lab, my kid and I bravely plunged into the abyss of phone surgery at 11:00 pm . The YouTube video seemed to spell out the steps like a GPS, but then it happened—a moment of absolute befuddlement. It was like the video missed the "press the big red button to fix everything" step.

Cue the epic showdown: a roaring argument between the teen and a grown-up trying to adult. Age initially flexed its muscles, but alas, 15 minutes later, I had to retreat as the teen was proven right. Roles reversed, and she started throwing rhetorical fireballs at me, while I shamefully took cover. She took the lead on the surgery, while I stepped back performing trivial activities like removing the adhesive from the backing.

After a couple of trial and errors, we were able to hear only the sound and not see anything. We managed to backtrack and correct all our blunders. We attached the screen, powered it on, and voila, the screen lit up with "Google".

Two hours later, we emerged victorious from the smartphone-surgery battlefield, equipped with newfound wisdom and the ability to replace phone screens.

Lessons learnt..

1. YouTube shorts may be short, but they wield the power of enlightenment!

2. While phone replacements can drain your wallet, DIY is surprisingly doable if you're up for the challenge.

3. The teen phase isn't always a battleground; it's a phase of budding mini-adults.

4.We've just minted a core memory, complete with a humorous saga of screen repair!

5. And oh yes.. I need to invest in a screen protector..