Needs Must

Needs must was another one of those old sayings my mother used from time to time. I understood it to mean that even if there was something I did not want to do, I must do it because it needed to be done. I don't remember if she ever used the entire saying: needs must when the devil drives. If she did, it wasn't often enough for me to remember it all, just the needs must part. The phrase, now considered a proverb, was first found in the writings of medieval author John Lydgate.

Needs must popped into my mind earlier as I was reading the latest book I downloaded to my i-Pad. Before my library closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I had only downloaded and read one book on the i-Pad. As long as I could get all the books I wanted through the library, that was my preferred method of reading. Still is, and probably always will be.

Yes, I could still get books from the library via curbside pickup, but instead I opted to re-read some of my own books I kept but hadn't read since before we moved here almost twelve years ago. Then one day I decided to look at some of the titles available through the library's Bridges service. "Oh my goodness, there's a book I've been wanting to read! And there's another one!" Soon I was following instructions and had successfully (much to my surprise and delight as I am not tech savvy) downloaded a book. Three days later, another one.

So, between downloading books and finally agreeing to facetime with my daughter, I have become slightly more adept at using the i-Pad. At least I am no longer afraid of touching icons and swiping screens. (Still a long way to go, though.)

This is the old i-Pad my daughter gave me last year. Its cover could not be any more perfect for me. And dare I admit, I am kind of enjoying facetiming and definitely liking the eBooks I can read because needs must sort of made it necessary.