Have you ever notice that there are only two words on the bottom-left on Start Menu in your Windows program? Log Off and Shut Down.

If you click on “Log Off”, you must choose 1 answer from 2 choices for the question “Are you sure you want to log off?”. You can either pick “Log Off” to quit your username from Windows and let someone else log in with his/her username, or ”Cancel” if you change your mind and would like to stay.

But what happens if you click on Shut Down? You will be offered to 5 choices, Log Off, Shut Down, Restart, Stand By and Hibernate. You must choose 1 of them before executing the next choice, either OK, Cancel or Help.

I tried to click on Help to see the definition of those choices. And here they are:

Stand by : A state in which your computer consumes less electric power when it is idle, but remains available for immediate use. Typically, you put your computer on standby to save power instead of leaving it on for extended periods. In standby mode, information in computer memory is not saved on your hard disk. If the computer loses power, the information in memory will be lost.
This option appears only if your computer supports this feature and you have selected this option in Power Options. See Power Options overview in Help.

Hibernate : A state in which your computer saves any Windows settings that you changed, writes any information that is currently stored in memory to your hard disk, and turns off your computer. Unlike shutting down, when you restart your computer, your desktop is restored exactly as it was before hibernation. Hibernate appears only if your computer supports this feature and you have selected the Enable hibernate support option in Power Options. See Power Options overview in Help.

Shut Down : A state in which your computer saves any Windows settings that you changed and writes any information that is currently stored in memory to your hard disk. This prepares your computer to be turned off.

Restart : A state in which your computer saves any Windows settings that you changed, writes any information that is currently stored in memory to your hard disk, and then restarts your computer.

Log off : A state in which your computer closes all your programs, disconnects your computer from the network, and prepares your computer to be used by someone else.
When connected to a Windows 2000 Server running Terminal Services, Log off closes all programs running in your Terminal Services session, disconnects your session, and returns you to your Windows desktop.

Haha, am I trying to make a strange posting? Could be!

Nope, I just think how life sometimes similar to what we face everyday in our works, computer with Windows program (hmm, I’m not sure about other program like Mac or Linux coz’ I never use any of them yet).

As an example is someone whose in stressful situation, like me. When I think about the problems I can’t solve, I feel like I want to Log Off from my life, dreaming that I could be someone else. But then, if I choose to Log Off, I must think about it carefully because 2 choices offerred. Do I really want to Log Off and just walk away from the problems? Although it means I have to leave my husband and child. Well, as a matter of fact, right now I only think about my child. I don’t really care about my husband who is already grown up and can take care of his self. But what about my 2-year-old toddler?

Well, yes, his father might as well find a new mother for her. But, will the new mother lover my baby as much as I do? I know, not all step mothers are meaned, but mostly they are. So, thinking about it, I always choose “Cancel” and return to my life.

About Shut Down. Well, I define Shut Down as a way to end your present life. ”End your life” doesn’t always mean that you do suicidal thing to really end your life. Maybe, if you choose suicide as the right solution, any of your problems will get away just like that. You will be freed from anything. I guarantee! Although, I’m not going to guarantee what will happen to you in the after life. Because for moslem, doing a suicide is considered as a big sin. Believe it or not! (I can’t tell you what it’s going to be liked because I’m still alive). So, you can choose Cancel before choosing OK to Shut Down your life.

Life is full of choices and considerations. It is also applied to Windows program when you click on Shut Down button. You can choose Log Off (as explained earlier), Restart, Stand By and Hibernate.

For Restart, I will define this word as a chance to refresh your present life with the family you have right now. It means that at last you have the guts to solve your problems in life by having a discussion with your spouse or anyone else involved in your problems. Communication is the key to solving problems, like some people might say. But, why does bridging a communication barrier seem so difficult?

I’m not the kind of people who like to talk much, but actually I’m quite an open person and like to share minds. My husband is different. He doesn’t like to talk nor even share his minds. And the worst is he doesn’t like to hear others. When I talk, he seems to be listened, but when I ask for his response, he says nothing. I really loose ideas on how to bridge this communication barrier with him. And in the end, I just keep in silent with full minds and problems.

So, can I choose Restart as an option? I wish I could, one day.

I can say that right now I’m in the state of Stand By and Hibernate. I’m trying to calm down, waiting for whenever right moment to do whatever right thing arrived. This is my Stand By situation. I will Hibernate to loosen up the stress a bit. So, whenever I wake up, I can find a solution to my problems.

Hmm, easy to say than to do it. But anyway, until right now, I can still manage everything. I live for my daughter. I work for my daughter. I will do whatever to maintain my computer on and so I don’t have to choose Log Off or Shut Down. Or at least, when I choose Shut Down, I will have a clear and sane mind to choose Stand By or Hibernate or even Restart.

You know what, I think Restart can also be defined as a way for you to get a fresh life with new people, new environment, etc, without just walking away like that. Maybe in a married life, you could see this definition of Restart as “divorce”, separation between husband and wife. But ofcourse, many things must be considered before taking this step.

Oh, dear! Why does this posting become longer than I have planned?

(this post was moved out from my previous blog)