My hard drive has developed an error and is prompting me to do a file system check on my C drive.

The good news is, the computer itself isn't acting any more screwy than usual so I doubt it will be a major error and will probably resolve without destroying the OS. Also, on the off chance I do have to wipe the OS I now have most of my important files backed up. None of my current projects will be lost.

Also, it would be a good time to restore all of my files and programs on an as-needed basis, so I can finally be bothered to get rid of some of the digital clutter that has made my computer slow and difficult to find things in. It'll be a chance to let go of old ambitions and projects while focusing on the things that matter to me in the now.

The bad news is, if I do end up having to wipe the OS, not only will I no longer have access to the rigel_ringtail YIM account that I've been using since 2003 (I lost the password and can't recover it), but there is also a chance that if I can't find the install disk for Pinnacle or for Sibelius, then I may have to hang up any future dusting off of old, unfinished music and video projects.

Backing up the programs would be difficult if not impossible because I'd have to have their respective registry entries and the innumerable sub-folders, application extensions, and plugins all in place, and those are scattered throughout my hard drive, often in places even I don't know where to look.

Music and video production were fun to play around with, but as I find myself creatively as a writer I feel that they will never be anything more than a hobby. Video production stopped being lucrative for me in 2007 and I never made enough to be worth mentioning from the music I produced (which was never that good to begin with). Writing, on the other hand, has potential to earn me a few hundred to a few thousand a year and while I don't expect to make a living off of it for a long time, it's what I do best and I have to focus my efforts where they're most useful.

I will finish backing up all my files, then I'll run the scan and let the chips fall where they may. If I still have my video production software after the wipe, then I'll gladly continue poking around with it from time to time but if not, I'll just let go. I'm tired of getting attached to things I don't need and in a way, I'll be kind of relieved if I have to wipe my OS and start fresh with only the files I've got and installing whatever programs I might need when I need them.

Time to let go. It's been fun but life has called me to be a writer, not a musician or a video producer.