Article December 2, 2013 ISSUE

Frustration foiled

Channing Walker

As my computer continued to crash, I realized my technical skills were no match at all for the chaos cascading across my screen. A document, or at least what once was one, glowed dimly. Was any data still salvageable? Frustration, like a heavy surf, overwhelmed me. So did complaint. But venting those frustrations and complaints brought me no comfort at all.

Time passed. The following morning, I noticed what may or may not have been there all along. An icon on the screen signaled that I had “new mail.” To my surprise, the e-mail came from an editor at this magazine. The e-mail began, “We were thinking that a Sentinel cover story on dealing effectively with ‘frustration’ would be so great to have.” Initially, I felt like the last guy on the planet who should write about conquering frustration. Then, I reconsidered. Was it as if God was giving me a second chance? Additionally, for reasons that humanly remained a mystery, my computer was now functioning flawlessly.