What is a misfit? Oxford dictionary: “something that does not fit or that fits badly.”
That seems to describe me in so many ways, but that’s not exactly what I’m thinking as I type this. Instead, I’m thinking about how something changes and now there’s an issue, a problem, or some would say “a possibility?”
Apple MacBook
My wife’s (older) Macbook Air’s power adapter (magsafe connector) was getting a little wonky and not charging every time it was connected. We did have another magsafe (ver2) adapter that we could use for both of those older macbooks. Sharing is not my favorite thing, so I pulled out some older macbook magsafe power adapters and not surprisingly they did not fit the new macbooks. The older macbooks used magsafe 1 connectors.
At this point, any cautionary person would check Amazon/eBay for a magsafe 2 replacement charger for $65. I did 30 seconds of searching and found a $9 magsafe 1 to 2 adapter. Move some connection pins around and let the energy flow, I thought. The next day my little power magic device arrived and worked great with two old chargers. Apple did not (fully) screw us over with their proprietary connectors this time.
Apple, yes again
I think back on our new ipads which are USB-C and how I didn’t want to buy all new cords, but purchase just a few. I looked up lightning to USB-C adapters and found a 4-pack for $6. The following day I received them and tested them successfully. Now in some strategic locations (desk, car, nightstand, etc) I have these little adapters or the 6” dongle version.
There are so many things in my life that misfit due to company/tech/historical changes. I usually strategize a way to fit the pieces together to simplify or prevent a future issue.
Mach1
Here’s a strange example. The 69 Mach1 came with an Autolite battery. These are long since out of production, but a company makes a $300 replica. We bought one so the Mach1 stayed pretty original. The battery sucked and lasted a little over a year. Turns out many people have this replica problem.
I ended up buying a battery cover that looks like the Autolite but covers a standard (3-year type) battery. From a glance, it looks like it is supposed to. If you look close on the side you can tell it’s a cover, which shows the owner cares about originality at some level. Note: I will not let Kathy nerd out and swap the good battery for the “show” Autolite battery at a car show…just to swap them at the end of the day to come home. …Some people.
Me again
I am usually the strange—out of the ordinary—person in the group. I never seem to have the same interests, thoughts, or desires as those around me. Sometimes, I think it’s because I was an only child who did my own thing most of the time. I grew up in a smallish town and it was usually cold so I just did my own thing. We didn’t really go outside and hang out in the neighborhood much of the year.
Then again, I could just be an oddball in general. That’s probably the root cause and no need to analyze me in any more detail. I didn’t fit in “badly,” just not an easy pop-in component.
Because I have always thought differently, maybe that’s why I see a glitch in the system/process and wonder if I can resolve that to make my life easier.
Perfectionless
My favorite saying is “everything has a ding.” That removed the stress of perfect-looking items. That is a go-with-the-flow perspective. It makes problems a little easier to deal with. It makes it so not every issue must be repaired/resolved to perfect.
I don’t think I have any DNA that requires me to have perfect—show the Joneses—my great stuff/life. I just do what I want and try not to impact other people negatively.
Even with the—now named—Jones generation growing up ahead of me, I just never matched the desires of others.
My brain—and actions—work differently. Once I cracked the process of getting A’s in college, I didn’t strive for perfection, 100%, but rather 91%. I knew that my 91% grade would give me the same GPA as the student who worked their ass off to get 100% for the semester. In my mind, I retained approximately 9% of my effort to use for myself, rather than the professor—with the same paper grade outcome.
Insightful Effort
I will say, I did not use that strategy for my working career. For my working career, I concentrated on serving my customers and making sure my boss didn’t have to worry about my work, actions, or deliverables. I kept my boss informed of the good and any issues so that they wouldn’t be blindsided by their boss or anyone else. Take care of your boss(es). That’s who I was working for.
Proactive
Note: I do love having the right cables for whatever comes up. I also like having different adapters from lightning, micro, USB-C, etc so I can put together the connection I need at any given time. Another part of the personality quirk is that I am the person who keeps a proactive inventory of items “just in case.” I have a few bins of “spare stuff” that I won’t get rid of for quite a while. I’m not a hoarder, but sometimes it feels like a few too many bins in the garage.
Find your BEST fit, whatever it may be.
*** Nothing in this article is to be construed as financial advice. I am not a financial planner, nor do I pretend to be. You should always consult your own professional when seeking advice. This post is not a piece of literary mastery, just a random thought I had.