Monitor Meaning

I was at my computer when my mind wandered and I began thinking about my monitor – a 23” flat screen with LED backlight. I thought about my previous monitor – a 19” flat screen with florescent tubes for backlight. I thought about the fact those tubes were called CCFLs (for cold-cathode florescent lamps). I thought about the fact that my 19” monitor had developed a problem and I had to set it aside. That’s when I bought my 23” monitor. (Later, I repaired the 19” unit, but that’s another story.) I thought about how my LED monitor was much thinner and ran cooler than my CCFL monitor. I reflected upon its reliability – my newer monitor has worked flawlessly every day while being powered up pretty much continuously for seven years. The images it displays are as precise and colorful now as they were the day I first turned it on.

Those were my thoughts when I heard a sound come from the monitor. It was a short and faint fffftt. At the same moment as the sound, the monitor’s screen brightened considerably. I thought perhaps my web browser had glitched, causing the screen to brighten. I closed and re-opened the browser, but the screen was still too bright. Black text was slightly washed out, appearing grayish.

Next, I thought perhaps the problem was with the operating system. So I restarted my computer. After restart, I opened my browser and checked: it was still too bright. Hmm: my computer is not the problem. I opened my monitor’s menu and checked the settings. The brightness was set to 100%. I cranked the brightness down to 70%. Still too bright. I set it to 60%. Still too bright. Finally, with the brightness at 50% the monitor looked “normal” again.

I knew with certainty I had never set the brightness to 100%. My monitor set itself to 100%. And it did so after seven years of working perfectly, at the very moment I was reflecting upon how reliable it had been. Random coincidence? Synchronicity? Is the Universe making a point? If so, is it that our thoughts influence reality? Maybe. Maybe not. All I know for sure is that it gave me enough material for a blog post.