1998, I am a freshman in high school, and one of my school supplies is a TI-83 graphing calculator. It was drilled into me to guard this ridiculously expensive calculator with my life. I carved my last name into the back, and I carried that thing around with me with the same level of protection as a lioness watching over her cub.

I am proud to say that not only did I keep track of that calculator through high school, but all through college, and beyond. In fact, I was able to care for and use that TI-83 all the way through my adult life…September of 2025.

The other day I reached for my trusty TI-83 to do some calculations only to discover that my calculator was no longer working. I assumed it just needed new batteries, so I took out the old double As and replaced them with brand new ones. But when I went to turn on the calculator, it still didn’t work. I was devastated. This TI-83 had been with me for the past 27 years. It had gotten me through algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. It had helped me solve numerous problems, and I could always count on it.

So I said a tearful goodbye to my beloved calculator. But I had to find a new one quickly. I walked down to the math department and asked if they had any calculators I could use. They did, and I was given a blue calculator. I don’t even know the make or model, but it is not a graphing calculator. It functions and does all the calculations I need it to, but it’s just not the same.

So, thank you, TI-83, for being so reliable these past 27 years. Rest in peace.