Help From Afar

Having spent several hours trying to figure out a new setup on my computer I received help from afar to get me going. What may be simple to some computer literate hackers can be very difficult for folks like me. When I recently purchased a new computer the store people fired it up with all the bells and whistles. The only thing missing was that I was not involved and new programs were installed and new search engines integrated so I was left with a wide knowledge gap.

I did my best to try to figure out the changes and actually managed to get some positive results but with my blogging experience quickly becoming useless with the new stuff I had to appeal for help. My oldest daughter walked me through the new process and after some frustrating moments on both sides I was happy to walk away with a new point of view about technology.

I am determined to read the instructions on every piece of equipment from now on. I know it is a man thing about asking for help or directions when lost but with our need to meld into the technical era we old folks have to get with it. I see four and five year old children in Walmart playing with the latest models of telephones and computers and I wonder why we are so hesitant to join the world out there.

We are surrounded with children and grandchildren who would find it near impossible to exist for an hour without texting and they do it so with little regard for the people around them. It was this fact that I asked my youngest grandson to put away his Blackberry while playing pool. He did not mind but only had to be reminded of this habit. The reality of it that we almost have to have rules to make sure we can have a conversation without one or more of these devices ringing in our ears and interrupting the flow of the conversation.

I must say that over Xmas four of my grand children had a two hour debate among themselves and myself without one interruption. It was so good. Perhaps all will be well in the future....remember in the old days we were not permitted to talk when watching TV. WHY?  Because it interrupted the TV show.