One day my husband brought home a book he thought I’d enjoy — and it did give me many chuckles, especially as I remembered our own days of learning how to operate this new-fangled device. If you’re young and tech-savvy you can read it and sympathize with computer sales & support people who must patiently explain what a byte is, how to control a mouse, or how far you should back up when your computer gives the order.
My Senior Moments Have Gone High-Tech
© 2016 by Karen O’Conner,
published by Harvest House Publishers in Eugene Oregon
![My Senior Moments Have Gone High-Tech by [Karen O'Connor]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51iKHtwxaYL._SY346_.jpg)
Consists mainly of anecdotes about golden oldies who take up using a computer in their senior years, these amusing tidbits have been gathered from learners, teachers, and fixers. As well as humor, the writer offers hope for those who feel their offspring are tossing them into the sea of technology without a life jacket.
Like the woman who set her mouse on the floor, thinking it should work like her sewing machine foot pedal. Or the irate fellow who ordered tech support to come out and see why his printer wasn’t working. The company rep dutifully showed up, checking things out, and asked how long the printer had been unplugged.
This reminds me of my first attempt at using our computer. Bob had purchased one three weeks previously, so he and our daughter (who worked at a computer store) were babbling in this strange language. Which made me all the more determined not to touch the thing. However, we’d been on a Family Reunion trip to Boston and I wanted to write up a long letter to his mother plus several penpals. Rather than hand-write all those pages, I typed it into the computer.
Starting with “Dear Mom, We had this great trip to Massachusetts…” I went on for eight pages giving her all the details. Then I hit PRINT. Nothing happened. I hit it again. Nothing happened. After the third try I called our daughter at work. She asked, “Are you sure it’s plugged in?”
I checked. It wasn’t. I plugged it in. Out came the eight pages. Then another eight. I couldn’t stop the thing! I unplugged it again, then plugged it back in. Out came another eight. I’m thankful my two penpals didn’t seem to mind an eight-page letter that started with “Dear Mom,” accompanied by a handwritten note of explanation on top. And when hubby got home, he showed me how to cancel a PRINT order. 🙂
My husband is talking now of updating our cell phones. Gulp! I still mourn the obsolescence of my old cell phone. It worked so well; to answer a call, you just flipped open the lid.
Anyway, I think this book would be a great Christmas gift for the senior on your list.
Christine's Collection 
One of my first jobs was with an Antivirus company. I developed, the Tech Support dept was next door. It was early Nineties, people still used floppy disks. One of the Tech Support guys had us all in stitches once – a customer had phoned in. They had what sounded like a new virus on one of their disks, Excited, the Tech Support guy asked if they wouldn’t mind sending a copy of the disk to us. A day later, via first-class mail, this photocopy arrived at the guy’s desk!
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Ha! Well, I’ll tell on my teen daughter. She was having some problem with something sticky on a piece of equipment. Whatever cleaner she was using didn’t take it off, so the boss told her she’d better use a little lighter fluid. Being totally innocent of lighters, she decided he must be meaning, “Use water” — the lightest fluid she knew. 🙂 I suppose lighter fluid doesn’t exist anymore?
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