Phyllis Buell
September Journey
There has been a lot of turmoil in my life recently. You see, I’ve had to adjust – or should I say TRY to adjust to some newer technology in a new cell phone..
Some people might not feel that way, perhaps. They are under 94, I’m sure. At my tender age it is difficult – if not impossible – to adjust to something new.
My own family apparently cannot function without theirs permanently attached to their hand. I try to use the excuse that I’ve misplaced mine and that is why I don’t answer when they call. After all, that is why I still have a landline. It usually is dependable.
Oh, the things I’ve seen. For example, I’ve gone from crank telephones that hung on the wall and the old party lines to yet another new cell phone.
I didn’t want one that had global positioning, gave the latest news (always depressing) or sent pictures. I just wanted one that made it possible to communicate with another human being whenever I wanted to do so. Just in case of emergency, you know.
Really, I don’t want to be like a lot of people I encounter driving down the road. They seem to be taking multitasking to the ridiculous! Driving, eating or smoking, combing their hair, putting on makeup, all the while they are talking on the phone!
Yesterday in church, I couldn’t help but notice one man that either was praying for a very long time or was texting on his cell phone. I do believe I know which of the two it was!
I finally gave in. I have that new phone. I’ve mastered the basics. I do know how to turn it on and off, charge it when the bars are low and talk when it rings.
Carolyn programmed in numbers that I might need and I thought that would keep those three quiet for awhile. Happy thought. As soon as they got the new cell phone taken care of, they started in on my poor old computer.
That almost did it! I liked my old computer. We were sort of the same era. Granted, I haven’t been able to receive e-mail for several months but I could send it.
In some respects, it was wonderful. No junk mail.
They wouldn’t quit.
Finally, all but kicking and screaming, I picked out a new computer.
The geek or I should say Geek that sold it to me said it would be any problem to transfer all my files from my old computer to my new one.
That is because he wasn’t going to have to do the transfer.
When the expert came to install my new computer he almost fainted. Apparently he didn’t know anything that old still was in existence. “We’ll have to take it in and get everything into a form to install on your new one” he said.
A few days later, he called with good and bad news. The good news was he hadn’t lost my files, but he couldn’t put them on my new one.
So – he brought my faithful old computer back and I spent Saturday printing out everything that it contained.
Years and years of September Journey appeared before my eyes. It was like re-living your life. I cried at some of the sad ones and smiled at the happy ones. I printed it all out at the insistence of those same three kids that insisted I get the new cell phone.
My new computer and I are not exactly best friends yet. It corrects my spelling but I can’t figure out how to insert a letter or word. Drat!
Meanwhile, does anyone have a clue as just what I can do with one ancient compute?. I just may do what my cousin Ron did when he got a new one. He threw the old one out of an upstairs window and then shot it! Then he left it lay where it fell and threatened his new computer with that end if it didn’t behave. And – this was my “preacher cousin!” Sounds like a good answer to me, except I don’t have a gun . . . but I’ll save that story for another day!