Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Word: Neoteric


   

neoteric

[nee-uh-ter-ik]
adjective
  1. modern; new; recent.
noun
  1. a new or modern writer, thinker, etc.

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           “Hey, Leon, check this out.” Mike said. 
He leaned over the side of the cubical wall and held out the object in question.  Leon eyed the black plastic rectangle quizzically.
“Yeah, it’s a phone.  What about it?”
“What about…Leon, this is quite simply the best piece of mobile technology that money can buy.”
“So it’s a new phone.”
Mike withdrew the phone to his side of the divider.  “This is not just a phone, Leon.  This is a mobile powerhouse.  The newest, the best, the penultimate.”
“Didn’t you say that last year about the phone you bought then?”
“What?”
“Yeah, you did.  You did say almost the exact same thing about your other phone.”
“What, that old thing?  That piece of junk isn’t worth even thinking about.”
“And you said that last year too, about the one you got two years ago.”
“What’s your point?”
“Mike, why do you get a new phone every year?”
Mike tilted his head.  “Why wouldn’t I?  I mean, don’t you?”
Leon pulled out his phone.  “Nope.  I’ve had this one for three years, and it works just fine.  Sure that battery doesn’t last long, but that’s what chargers are for, right?”
Mike recoiled in horror.  He acted as though the three year old piece of technology was some terrifying monster.
“How…how is…why do you…how can you live with something so out of date?”
“Pretty easily, I think.  I just don’t think I need to get a new phone every year.  I mean, if it works, why replace it?  Phones aren’t exactly cheap, you know.”
“Leon, you poor, misguided soul.  If a phone isn’t the latest model, it’s junk.  You need to replace that dinosaur as soon as you can.  Please, for me?”
Leon looked at his phone.  It had served him well, and continued to do so.  “Nah.  I like this one.  I’ll use it until it dies, then get one that’s reasonably priced.”
Mike backed away for a moment.  “Why…why do you do this to me?  Next you’ll be telling me you get computers off the shelf.”
“Sure.  Not like I need anything fancy.  Plus, it’s not like I know what most of the components do.  I mean, yeah, I can get someone to build me a custom model, but again, why?  Stock computers are perfectly fine.”
Mike acted like he had been dealt a physical blow.  “You’re killing me here.  At least tell me you don’t buy, ugh, used cars.” He said with a shudder.
“As long as the dealer’s reputable, most of them are very reliable, and a lot less costly.”
Mike gasped and collapsed into his wheeled office chair.  He clutched his chest, feeling his heart beating rapidly.  Leon’s complete lack of interest in the best new stuff was like watching horror movie.  How could the man function without the latest tech?  How could anyone live without having the best? 
Leon simply went back to work.  He briefly wondered why anyone would spend so much money was beyond him.  Especially since he knew he would just replace the very expensive piece of technology the moment something newer came out.  After all, just because something was a bit older, did not mean it was bad.
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Hey, as long as it works, why get something that's only slightly better for several hundred dollars?  I can never figure out why tech heads replace their stuff so often.

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