First generation skills

Last night Justin came into my room and announced to me the opening date of International Flower Show at Epcot. He has been wanting to go for a couple years and this is not something his buddies would be all about, if you know what I mean. Neither could they afford it—his desire to go is based upon my willingness to pay for it. (Am I smart enough, or stupid enough, to do this?) We already have Passports for the admission, would just need the hotel covered, the gas, and the meals. There WOULD be meals, have no doubt of that!

When he told me, I just sort of looked at him, as I had expressed in the past my concern the walking would be too much for me. Without me mentioning it again, he said, “We can go slow. We get a ride in from the parking lot, and we can sit down anytime you want….just so you don’t talk about computers…” I asked him why he thought I would talk about computers, since that’s really his thing to discuss ad nauseam.

What he was getting at was the fact that he would be patient with me as long as I didn’t need help on the computer. His point---he loses his cool when I don’t understand something he is helping me with. Well, that burned my biscuits, that little snot! I told him in my sugary-sweetest voice, “It’s okay, Justin, some day you will learn to be a better teacher…”. Why is it on me, the student, when he loses patience in helping me with something???

Justin and I have had this conversation in the past (of course!) where I explain from my vast knowledge, his certain and definite advantage of being a First Generation electronics lover/user, soaking up every morsel of this subject that he can. His father and I did not, do not, which is why we rely on the training or assistance of others. Besides that, our brains are being used for other purposes in addition to using electronics.

His father and I got our first home computer in 1984, I think, which operated using two floppy discs which were switched in and out of the slots on the face of the CPU. The computer was so expensive that we had to take out a revolving credit loan from the local bank to pay for it, with an interest rate under Carter at 24%!

When the computers were upgraded to the 3” discs from the 4.25” floppies, we had to replace the original machine. I cannot even remember when exactly the computers switched to non-disc driven operation (I know some of you might be cringing that I don’t remember or that I ‘stored that in my memory banks’, or am not using the proper terminology).

And when changes came, I went along reluctantly, hanging in with LOTUS when it was no longer cool. The expression of “get with the program!” was developed for me. Once I learned something, I learned it well, I got comfortable with it, and was not in a big hurry to be uncomfortable learning something different. I am so good in my happy place!

On the weekend I needed his assistance with the booklet I was editing, which was originally done in a word processing program I do not normally use. I asked him to help me move something which would not move the way I would do it in Word. He said to click here, tap there, hit Alt something or other, and I said, “AHHHHH!!! It all disappeared! Oh no, I have to start over!!” And then he got frustrated with me….


Later, I gave him his car insurance card and asked him, “Aren’t you glad I am smart enough to know how to pay for your car insurance?” Point made, point taken! Do NOT mess with me!

So, anyway, last night, he sort of muttered under his breath about the computers and then brightened up, saying, “You can teach me LOTUS!” I said I would if I had still had the floppy discs and he called my bluff, saying there some in a box in the back bedroom. Great! All we need is a machine which has the slots for them, and I will teach him, VERY patiently!