Mourning the fading of a 20 year relationship

I have a Yahoo e-mail. It’s been my primary e-mail for 20 (!) years, and lately, it’s been giving me big problems.

I log in and after the mail page opens, within literally a second, it crashes and restarts. Then, with increasingly frequency, it crashes as I use it. It came to a point where it was crashing once a minute.

Other Yahoo users relate that after last year’s big hacking scandal, they too have had similar issues. I could and probably will take it to a computer expert, but for now, when I think about the task, I get tired and prefer to divert to other things, so the item remains on my To Do list.

Part of my procrastination is an avoidance of bad news. I’ve had this account for 20 years and it’s a big part of me, in the way that e-mails are a big part of people’s lives.

I was just laughing about this and the origins of this account with a friend, James Scullary, who was there at its inception. It was 1997, and Yahoo had just started offering free e-mail. I was working at KHNL (NBC) at the time, and some of my coworkers were opening accounts, and told me I should, too.

KHNL newsroom

I know for sure it was producer Nissa Buth who walked me through the steps, but the others sitting in the producer quad, I think, were James and Su Shin (Meisenzhal). “E-mail is the wave of the future!” Nissa exclaimed, or something to that effect.

The wave of the future! What a thought, now! Ha! Millennials have told me e-mail is so “old school”!

I probably should have taken it more seriously and used a proper handle that involved my real name, but I came up with a ridiculously drag-queen sounding moniker that included the word “diva,” not understanding that one day, I’d be sending resumes electronically.

My goodness. In the time I’ve had this e-mail, I’ve gone through several men (before settling on one), six residences, three jobs, two dogs, two cats, and started one human life.

I’m afraid to be told I have to close it for good. Right now, I just let it sit dormant and choose to use an existing  Gmail alias account as my primary one (the last part does NOT say @gmail.com, but it does go to Gmail when I check it.)

For now, at least. Not dealing with this problem might be part of my transition to get used to not having it.

“You’ll always be the Diva to me,” assured James. We laughed some more. Oh, I miss that carefree time of my life and the long-lasting friends of that newsroom.

Anyhow, I suppose it’s OK if I do have to permanently close the Diva account. Life changes, and you change with it.

At least my new handle is very grown-up sounding. Because, you know, I’m such a grown-up now!

Author(s) on this Post

Diane Ako

Peace of mind By Diane Ako I like to reflect on life. Sometimes it’s philosophically. Sometimes it’s humorously. For all its beauty, life is far too difficult a journey to take alone. You need the support and connection with others to help carry you along the way. Writing brings me that connection– within and without. It clarifies my thoughts and feelings. It helps me reach out to others for advice, wisdom, or feedback. Your thoughts become your actions. Your actions become you. A wise yogi- Patanjali- said, “Speak what is true. Speak what is pleasant.” Let’s speak of things pleasant to one another and seek some peace of mind along the way. ABOUT Diane Ako joined Hawaii: In Real Life in October 2016. She likes being part of a community of local bloggers – people who like writing and sharing, like she does. Ako is an anchor/ reporter at Island News (KITV4 – ABC) in Honolulu. She previously anchored and reported at KHON2 (FOX) and KHNL (NBC), and at stations in California, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania. She freelance writes for NMG Network's magazines. In between news jobs, in 2017, she launched and ran her own p.r. company, Diane Ako PR. From 2010-2014, she headed the public relations department at Halekulani Corporation, which oversees luxury resort Halekulani and boutique hotel Waikiki Parc. She’s been blogging since 2009 – before Hawaii: IRL, she wrote for The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the state’s largest daily newspaper, where her stories garnered a dozen journalism awards and an Emmy nomination. Ako has a BA in Communications from Menlo College and an MA in Political Science from University of Hawaii at Manoa. She volunteers as a board member of the Honolulu Gay & Lesbian Cultural Foundation, a Shinto shrine maiden at Daijingyu Temple, a citizen-scientist studying shrimp, and a yoga teacher at a senior center.

Diane Ako has 274 posts and counting. See all posts by Diane Ako

2 thoughts on “Mourning the fading of a 20 year relationship

  • February 23, 2017 at 9:22 am
    Permalink

    Hello Diane,

    I know how you feel about switching your email account. I’m still using AOL and that was even before Yahoo I think and I’m not switching yet. hahaha I even opened a Gmail some time ago but never used it. hahaha

    Reply
    • February 23, 2017 at 2:39 pm
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      M, AOL! I remember when people had AOL and it seemed so Superinformation Highway! And now when I see AOL I”m like, you haven’t switched to a more recent server yet?

      Reply

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