The Journey

Off we go to hunt. It was a hunt with two inexperienced hunters. We looked, we listened and we captured. We returned to the house a few hours later and about 1500.00 less in the bank account courtesy of the salesment/hunt guide at the computer store. It's 1993 and we have our first computer and a whole lot less knowledge about what to do with it but AOL was our first stop.

We signed on and on meant the internet. I've always entertained myself with books and reading the written word of any kind. The internet was the perfect home for me. For the next few months I soaked up everything I could about the computer and the internet. I was hooked. I marveled at all the places I could visit; the people out there doing the same thing and the friendships developed through this medium. Awesome! A whole world opened up with this CPU and screen.

It didn't take long for me to use it (the internet) for most of my needs. I could order products, contact friends through email and chat screens, look up directions, print maps, pay bills and on and on. Soon I was converted to digital photography; another hobby of mine and I discovered photo editing. Lots to learn and I enjoyed all of it.

As the years passed, family and friends started getting computers and getting online. Many of these newbies I coached through the learning process and my sister was one of them.

Coaching sister was a bit tricky. Five years after getting her first computer and I was still her coach. Now, there is nothing wrong with sister's brain. She is a bright and intelligent person although a bit scattered at times. She wanted to "do" and wasn't particulary interested in learning. She wanted to know how to do what she was working on; not to learn what the computer could do and how it did it. I, on the other hand, had to know how this thing worked and what it could do.

The first thing I did was learn the terminology. Sister could have cared less and to this day when I instruct her to type an address into the "browser" she has to ask "Where is that?" I just smile and shake my head and be grateful she can't see the look on my face.

Sometimes she would call and out of fustration with her, I would hand the phone to hubby and have him explain. He looked exhausted when he finally finished talking to her.

I have to conclude this with how much she has impressed me lately with her bravado on the computer. She was trying to get videos to play that she had recorded and was unable to find the player on her laptop. She went online and found a player, downloaded it and VOILA, she has video capabilities. Lets stand right now and give her a round of applause, shall we? I was too impressed! Then I mentioned "browser" to her and she asked

"Where's that?"