The Blessings of Electronics...I Mean Spring...

I finally remembered what I was laughing so hard about when I went to see Louis. He had bought a new typewriter, and was learning how to use it. He hated the d*** thing, and still does, as of this morning, ten days after receiving it. It was the subject uppermost on his mind when I showed up on Monday, and he must have spent the first hour unintentionally regaling me with stories of his frustration with the machine.

As anyone my age who’s learned a new software program, or gotten a new piece of electronic equipment knows, it takes much longer than you think it will to figure out how all of it works. For instance, Santa blessed me with a new 5-CD sound system for Christmas, apparently one of the last few such dinosaurs in existence to hear my son tell it. My old one had broken, and we’d been without music for months.

Then the new sound system came. Louis could not for the life of him understand why I was in no hurry to unpack it and set it up. Each time we spoke he would ask, “What’s it sound like? Is it nice? Did you open it yet?”

He couldn’t understand when I said I “didn’t have time” to deal with it.

What could there be to it? I’m sure he wondered, but was too polite to say. You open the box and plug it in.

Finally, about a month after Christmas, I spend a Sunday morning doing just that. Opening the box, unpacking all the parts, taking the old one down, hooking the new one up, and learning the basics of how to operate it.

So to hear Louis tell me he spent six hours trying to “figure the d*** thing out,” and then at the end of it say, “I just wanted to cry,” sent me into spasms of laughter.

The image of this man, who to me seems larger than life, being brought down by a typewriter, is just too funny for words.

“Welcome to my world,” I said. “Now you know why it takes me forever to use new electronics and appliances, and why I hold onto my old ones for dear life.” It’s not just the cost of new stuff, it’s that I don’t want to take the time and/or deal with the frustration of learning how to use it.

Two hours into it, he said he wanted to say, “You can keep the $280. Just give me my old typewriter back.” He said the same thing in a letter this week, and on the phone this morning. He sent several letters this week. The first one says, “This is my first letter on this new typewriter so there will be more typos than usual.” And then, on the next page, he types, “I just realized why this is always beeping…it’s misspelled words.”

He then describes how he went through the manual and figured out how to go into and out of different files, use the search function, and scroll through file names. Even so, his next letter had a blank whenever the letter “u” had been typed, and in another the words all ran together. A third looked pretty nice, like he’d gotten the hang of it, but this morning he said he was ready to throw it against the wall again.

I told him to send me the make and model number, and I’d see if I could send him some more user-friendly instructions than the manual offers.

As for me, I’m keeping busy finishing projects already started. Moving right along. Books are being read, clothes are being thrown out, things are getting organized. Tonight begins the Mission Speaker series at our church—something I had already planned on attending--and I look forward to that. I’ve also added a third Qigong class to my weekly schedule, and whoa, does that make a difference—more on this some other time.

In short, (unlike Louis and his new typewriter J) I’m really pleased with how March is unfolding. For some reason, March seems to have evolved into “Me” month, and I kinda like it that way, think I might make it an annual tradition.

Spring is a time for rebirth and renewal. What better time to take care of yourself, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually? Works for me, with Lent being in there.

Whatever your faith, tradition, or electronic equipment situation, may our unfolding spring bring many new blessings and renewal into your days, as well.