Gratitude

Just thoughts about what I am doing right now. I'm taking free online computer courses named Alison. I hate them. They are interesting and useful, but I can't seem to hang on to the knowledge, even the cool new stuff I'm learning. 

My uncle Arnie warned me about this. He just turned eighty in May. He told me the older you get, the harder it is to learn new things. I'm in my early fifties, and I'm already having difficulty retaining whatever I learn. I can't remember anything!

I learned how to insert tables and planned to use them to update my resume, but I can't figue out how to do them again. Fffffuuuuu....

When I was in high school, computer classes were still relatively new. We worked on Macintosh computers like the Lisa II. I remember being impressed that a small town like ours had enough computers for everyone. Whoooooo! We learned basics like DOS. I had an A+ average., like 95% on my report card. 

My family had a Texas Instrument ( Yeah, I'm old.) computer at home and I remember fixing a program of my father's when I noticed it was missing a single bracket. The program was a bouncing ball that you could change the colors of the ball and the background. ( I feel ancient telling you this.) 

I spent much of the early nineties without a computer, and when my boyfriend (Now husband) finally got one, all I had learned was obsolete. When I tell my younger friends, they shrug it off, but for me the loss was profound. 

Shortly after that, I met my critique partners. Dawn comes very much into the picture here. This blog exists solely because of her. She literally talked me through the set up, step by step,  and taught me whatever I needed to know. I had Microsoft Word, and she taught me how to use that too. 

Thanks Dawn. It must have been like teaching a belligerent five year old. I am incredibly grateful. No joke. 

Years later, my computer died, and I bought a new one that did NOT  come with  Microsoft Word. What do I DO?

Hello, Brad! Bradley Trautman is my computer guy. He's the one who introduced me to LibreOffice. I had told him I JUST wanted a word processor. All I wanted to do, was write books. I don't need the bells and whistles and whatever else. Just gimme something to write with that doesn't cost me hundreds of dollars! 

LibreOffice asks for donations, and it does most of the things that Microsoft does, but I've learned that Microsoft is superior in several ways. BUT I asked for a simple word processor, didn't I? Thanks Brad. Because of you, I could complete 'Elaina's Fate', and there is more to come. Seriously, thanks man.

So I decided it was time to get me some education and actually learn more about the computers that dominate our lives so that perhaps I can get better employment. I am of two opinions. Half of me screams, "Change is inevitable! Get with the times!" The other half grumbles, "It isn't broken. Why fix it?" Guess who is being left behind? 

I guess what I'm saying is LEARN everything you can while you're still young. Absorb everything. I think the 'Karen' and 'Kyle' mentality comes from the fear you feel when the world keeps changing and you can't keep up. It's not a good excuse to be rude, but rude people are fearful people. 

Ever see Grand Budapest Hotel? Ralph Fiennes character lectures that rudeness stems from the idea that the person fears they won't get what they want. Fantastic movie, by the way, and that idea stuck with me. It's just fear. Use your words and tell them what is bugging you and why. No need to get nasty. 

I am living my life in gratitude. My current problems are small and First World Issues. I just wanted to say thank you to Dawn and Brad for teaching me the basics I really needed to just write books. I'm working to advance my knowledge, because change is inevitable. 

Seriously, thank you.