It’s my wife, Margaret, I’m talking about. A year ago I would have to beg, plead and cajole her if I wanted her to read an article I’d found on the Internet. She really wanted nothing to do with computers. She did understand that they were (and are) a part of society and of my life. But she wanted nothing to do with the little electronic monsters. If I asked her to read something and she could not do so at the moment she would agree to read it later. I would tell her how to get to it but that was not good enough. She needed me to open up the article and leave the computer on until she could read it. Or she needed me to print it out for her – that was her preference.
Margaret as a newly "crowned" nurse
Margaret is a Registered Nurse and works at a nursing home. Like all of us, she is not as young as she once was. She would like to get a job where she doesn’t need to be on her feet for the entire shift. Most (if not all) of the desk jobs require extensive computer usage. Margaret remains a floor nurse. At least that helps her keep her girlish figure. (Margaret is looking over my shoulder and made me put that last sentence in.) I think part of the problem was that she has heard about computer viruses and is afraid that SHE might catch one.
It was about this time last year when she became aware that a high school reunion she wanted to attend was being organized using a web site. Reluctantly she signed up to the site to keep up with the plans. She also started emailing a few of her old high school classmates. I was heavily involved in aiding her in all of this. So, you ladies who were communicating with her via email: you have no secrets with her that I don’t know about! Slowly but surely the computer bug (not the virus) got under her skin.
For Christmas she decided she wanted me to provide her with the notebook that I have, but seldom use, for her own use. I set it up on the dining room table (no place else available in the house) for her. It is hooked up to the power cord and uses an external keyboard and mouse for her convenience.
Then I had to help her get up on Facebook. And that is when our sweet domestic life as we had known it came to a screeching halt. Now I am lucky to have a conversation with her at home. The first thing she does upon waking is turn on the computer. Turning it off is the last thing before going to work or to sleep.
Friends. As of this writing, Margaret has 142 friends on Facebook. I don’t even KNOW 142 people! She has already passed each of her kids and they were both on Facebook before her. I think she is trying to get more friends than both of them put together!
She still has no interest in using a computer at work. She is still afraid of it if I’m not available to help her with glitches. For instance: when the computer hangs up and won’t boot or won’t shut down, I still have to help her resolve the problem.
It’s nice to know she still needs me.