Dear Apple Keyboard

A spooky and beautiful love affair with a Mac keyboard — a true story

Karthik Rajan

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Photo by Alejandro Escamilla

Dear Mac Keyboard,

I was a contented monk — until I touched you.

Until my fingers caressed you, I was semi-happy with the natural ebb and flow along the curves of thought. All I knew was the feel of fountain pen’s “royal blue” ink pressed on paper.

Through the years we have known each other, you intimately know this. I have a fascination with the word ‘beautiful’ — for things that are beyond the reach of the eye. A beautiful rendition, a beautiful mind, a beautiful simplicity and many more.

One fine morning, a friend of mine asked me in half jest over coffee, “what is your most beautiful tool?”

You flashed in front of me. The wholesome view of my fingers gliding between the alphabets was my first thought. Heck, candidly — only thought.

You were nowhere in sight that moment. Today, I want you to know that. And more.

Life passes by, I do not take enough time to let my near and dear know how their small acts changed me for the better.

That changes today starting with you. Here is my backstory — before you.

Thoughts got bottled up in my mind. I would never orchestrate them out at a pace that my hand could keep up. I often lost rhythm and bundled up thoughts refused to ooze out on paper — the way I dreamt them to. Many a times it was so labor intensive that I lost the fun within the creative streak.

Many writers are gifted. They are at ease with the depth of the press of the typewriter. They are at ease with the clutch like effect of many keyboards. They are at ease with the old fashion charm of writing with a pen.

The medium does not matter for them. I am not one of them.

I was a long time PC user. My siblings whose technology opinion I respect, gently persuaded me to rethink on Mac. My wife who is a party to many such conversations was a quiet observer.

One fine birthday, she surprised me with a gift — a silver color powerhouse named MacBook Air.

I cannot express in words how I felt when I opened that gift and saw you. I…

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Karthik Rajan

Stories to fuel your mind. Theme: life’s hidden treasures in plain sight. Goal: Warm tone, solid content, crisp stories. About me: one google search away.