Last year I bought a vape to try to entice a smoking friend to switch. I thought I should not just hand over a box, but be able to explain everything. I learned to take it apart, clean it, and replace the coil.

Then I dropped it, and the ceramic heat deck cracked. When I investigated by disassembling, shrapnel spilled across the desk. With the replacement weeks away, I borrowed magnifying glasses and used tweezers to painstakingly reassemble the shattered deck, learning how all the tiny parts fit together. I had never reassembled a machine, let alone shattered ceramics, and was startled by the pleasure of doing so. When I went to a vape shop in hope of finding a replacement I discovered that I understand the mechanics of that particular model even better than the local vapegeek.

Attempting this puzzle gave a pleasure I didn’t know about, didn’t know I was capable of.