Terrorism is closer than you think. This attack happened to our own people, only 1 year ago today.
It happened in the same area as many of my Veteran friends live and work and where many servicemen and women are currently serving. This is the area very close to my old unit. It is only 3 hours from my home. I drive through this area, as do my family and friends, anytime we want to head south. This could have been any town in America and any military recruiting center.
At what point is everyone going to realize Pokemon Go is the answer to many problems of the 21st century?
Kids are begging to stay outside longer and requesting to go places they would have never gone without Pokemon Go.
You read that right. Kids want to stay out as late as possible and are begging their parents to take them to the park and to important venues, such as museums, outdoor art displays, and many other places we try to drag our kids to give them a little culture. Kids are asking to go on shopping trips, and parents are letting them purchase gold by doing chores around the house.
It’s not the 1950’s dream everyone has been wishing for. No. It’s better! This is much better.
People are smiling. They are laughing. They are having fun. All people.
In a nation where low Vitamin D counts, high obesity, high levels of depression, and a lack of exercise is the norm, it seems Pokemon Go has, for a short term at least, has given the nation an answer to some of these issues.
And the number one best part about this game, everyone, of all races, sexes, and religions are coming together in parks, on sidewalks, and on buses sharing game strategy and hints with each other. No mention of hate for each other, just fun conversation about capturing little creatures.
Pokemon Go – Bringing the world together with one app – CHECK!
Until next time…be safe, be kind, and always be happy.
(and Go…. get out there and catch the Pokemon! The world needs you!)
#Pokémon #pokemongo
The Ten Commandments of Pokemon Go
The final commandment of playing Pokemon Go is always play nice.
“Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.”
(Yes, that is directly from the Bible, but it’s a good rule to live by in any instance, even when playing Pokemon Go.)
Now, go forth and multiply… your combat power and candy of course!
Until next time…be safe, be kind, and always be happy.
PS: Remember adults, these rules apply to you too.
I like to take the time to let folks know how much I appreciate them and today is one of those days. My journey has not been easy, but it becomes much easier when I know I have friends all over the world who cheer me on and support me as I am.
As many people know, from previous entries, when I first started this blog, it was my way to stay connected to the world, voice my opinions (without alienating all my friends and family on Facebook), and it provided me with the mental support I needed so badly.
I was an empty shell of myself and I didn’t know how to find my way back. Sure I put on the face and the mask we all wear. I smiled when needed and held polite conversation with the best of them, but life had finally taken it’s toll on my spirit. I was broken; completely and utterly broken. So much had happened in my life and I had put up with so much crap, I thought eventually my life would even out, and maybe, just maybe, I could have some time to myself where I wasn’t feeling tortured by fate. Just as I thought that time had come for me, fate brought me to my knees once again with pain and an uncertain future.
Just as I was “making it” in life, my body turned on me and my future plans came to a screeching halt. I was diagnosed with some pretty serious stuff.
I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, many other medical conditions, and so many painful injuries, I could be the walking final exam for a ICD 10 coder.
I could teach new nurses on how to start IVs, give shots, and how to take blood pressure in the lower leg or lower arm (Yes. These are appropriate ways to take blood pressure and it hurts less than upper arm.) I know more about my conditions than many medical professionals do. Sometimes that sucks, but sometimes it works to my favor.
I was so healthy for the majority of my life, that this was a huge shock to my mental well-being. It’s like fate decided, “Oh shit. We forgot about her. Let’s catch up for lost time.” Within just a few short years, I went from being perfectly healthy at 39 (I have the full physical to prove it) to disabled at 45. I went from working two very important jobs for the government, to barely being able to tie my shoes. It was hard getting used to this new life, but what choice did I have? I could either crawl in a corner and give up, or keep fighting. Let’s just say the corner looked pretty good for a little while. In fact, escaping to a blanket fort is not outside the realm of possibilities on any given day.
I’ve been dealing with these medical issues for a few years now and I’m almost to a point where my “old life” has finally transitioned to my “new normal.” It’s been interesting to say the least. I’ve learned a lot about myself, others, and how the world really works when you need people the most.
Because I was always active and high spirited, it was hard to accept a life of constant pain, medications, doctor appointments, dealing with insurances, evil people, and a life being controlled by a disease I could not cure. You learn so much when you have to depend on others for help, but mostly learn how weak you can be, and how strong you are also. There are no third options when dealing with disabilities, you either fall and never get back up, or you get up, time and time again, to fight another day. I have fought through some serious stuff in my life, but this last 5 years have been the test of who I really am. I have fought harder than I ever thought I could, with less backing than I’ve ever had. There were many days when I honestly didn’t think my body was going to let me keep going. There were days when it took all I had just to stand up straight and walk 5 more steps. Hell, I still fight everyday to keep going and I worry everyday I won’t be strong enough to face what comes next, but I do face it, and just like I have always fought bad thing in life, I continue fighting this.
When I first received my diagnosis, I already knew something was wrong, but I wasn’t sure what it was. I felt as though my life force was draining out of me and pretty soon I would disappear in an explosion of pain, but my mind was still strong and I was going to fight whatever had come my way. Or so I thought.
I faced the diagnosis with the same gusto as I do any problem in life. The very first thing I did was read as much as I could about my diseases and injuries, then I wrote down everything I could find and made a plan. My plan was foolproof. Diet, exercise, vitamins, medications, and so much more. My entire life had always been one long “to do list” and I knew I could tackle this too! Boy, was I wrong.
There are many aspects of my physical well being I can control, but there are many I can’t control too. For instance, I never knew medications would have such a huge impact on my life. 
I get about 2 hours of “normal me” per day. That is in an entire 24 hour period. I’m either sick, tired, hungry, not hungry, wide awake, shaky, I have a rebound headache, I’m dehydrated, I’m sweating, I feel ill, I’m too hot or too cold, or I have a combination of all of them.
These are all due to combinations of necessary medications.
I’ve had people ask me, “If the medications make you feel so bad, why take them?” I guess I don’t have to take them. I could suffer in bed all the time and die a very early agonizing death. Instead I’ve chosen to live longer, but experience only half the life I did before. Honestly, I think that’s a pretty good trade off. There are people who are way sicker than I am and who have suffered longer, yet they’re still kicking ass in the world, so I guess I can too. No need to give up now. Not when life is getting so high tech and so much fun (Pokemon Go anyone?).
Another way my life has changed is mostly due to fatigue. I’m not talked about being tired after work and sleeping until you feel better. I’m talking about dragging your body from one place to another like dead weight. I’m talking about feeling like you have the flu, every single day of your life.
I’m talking about taking a shower and needing a nap. I’m talking about going hungry or thirsty because the distance from the living room to the kitchen is just too far away for the energy you have left for the day. I’m talking about sleeping for 10 hours and your battery only filling up a quarter of what normal would be. That is fatigue and I have it in spades. Of the many issues we have, many autoimmune patients complain of fatigue (mental and physical) as being the number one reason for not enjoying life. Consider this, when severe pain is as high as we experience, but fatigue is one of the main reasons for complaints, then you must understand the level of exhaustion patients are experiencing. This is why many patients really enjoy floating in water. Just taking the weight off of their body and not having to carry around their bodies, even for a short time feels so good.
These and many other issues were greater than I could ever comprehend. It took me a very long time to mentally accept I could not control everything about my body and I would have to accept the bad days along with the few good days. I would have to adjust my life to my body, not my body to my life.
It wasn’t easy. Trust me, there were tears, cries to every god who would listen, and there were time of solitude, when I just wanted to shut the world out and allow myself to feel this pain alone. I needed time to stop fighting the pain and accept it as part of myself.
I felt as if an alien had taken over my body and I was being forced to share my body and my brain with the new entity. Once joined, there was no way to separate the two, without killing me, the host.
(There are some Stargate similarities in here, but I don’t want to bore those who are not familiar with the show.)
I think the hardest part of all was seeing the face of Doctors and other medical personnel when treating me for my conditions. To them, they see me as another patient, and having this alien thing in my body, using my body as it’s host, was nothing new to them. I had become only one of a few million who carried this disease or one of many more millions who suffered from one of all the autoimmune diseases. To them I was just another patient, but to me, I was shocked no one was more surprised I was invaded by a disease I did not want and did not ask for. Once it’s part of you, that’s it. Your body and brain are split between the real you and this entity which is trying to control all aspects of who you are. This new “thing” demands to be heard and demands attention. There is no ignoring the demands on my mind and my body. It’s a war that cannot be won. The host will eventually lose. The only thing a patient can do is slow the progression of the hostile takeover by staying engaged in life and fighting to find a new normal. It’s hard, but it can be done.
I wanted to find my new normal, but I had no idea where to look. I spent my entire life as my children’s mom, a Soldier, and a government employee. I had owned businesses before, but I was always very healthy during those times, and I could work 50 -60 hours a week to make sure our lives stayed on track. This time it was different. I was divorced, my children were grown, and now my career was gone. I was lost and I had to find my way back.
I truly believe every human has the responsibility to give something back to this world (to the best of their abilities) and I knew I wasn’t doing that just sitting around feeling sorry for myself. At the time of my diagnosis, I felt like I had lost everything I knew about myself. I lost my career, the energy for life, many of my old friends, and all the plans I had for my future were now gone. I basically had to start from scratch, learning who I was, and planning for this new future, in this broken body. I didn’t like feeling like a problem. Even if it was in some small way, I wanted to help and become part of the solution.
I needed to do something to give me hope so I wasn’t always focused on my medical problems. I had gotten this far and handled the maze of medical care, maybe others needed to know how too.
I wanted to share my own struggles and maybe give a little hope to others. I wanted to stay engaged in life, keep my spirits up, and stay involved in politics and activism (especially medical activism for Veterans). By voicing my concerns, and allowing others to do the same, I felt like I could do something for the world, but I didn’t know how.
With everything going on in my life and dealing with my healthy, the only way I could be heard was to start my own blog. So, that’s exactly what I did.
Writing about human equality and giving a place for others to voice their concerns was the only thing I could think of at the time to continue giving back to the world (I’ve also picked up painting and my life passion of photography again) and I’m so glad I did. I’ve met some really wonderful people along the way and this has given me a place to get all the insane conversations I have in my head down on paper.
If you haven’t noticed, I also love memes. I collect as many as I can. Memes are just the awesome little pick-me-ups I need during the day. If you have any you wish to share, feel free to put them in the comments. I will gladly save them in my meme folder and use them in future updates. I particularly like sarcastic, funny, and positive memes. If all three of those criteria are in one meme, that is meme gold!
I love that I have people in this world who spread love and compassion to everyone around them.
When the world news is so sad and so soul crushing, that you can’t even breath, there are many people out in this world with smiles on their face, kindness in their soul, and compassion in their heart. These are the people who make life worth living. These are the people who remind me everything will be okay.
Through this blog and my social media accounts, I’ve met some of the nicest people you could ever imagine. There are so many great people in this world and they are doing some wonderful things to make the world a better place to live.
With all of this said, I want to send my deepest appreciation to everyone who reads my blog, shares my blog, sends me positive comments, shares their blog with me, and a huge thank you to the people who so graciously allow me to interview them and highlight their hard work on my blog. I know my blog is in the very early stages of growth, but it means the world to me that so many people have joined me and supported me so far.
You make my life so full of light and happiness. I can’t wait to see what we all accomplish in another year. I think it’s going to be pretty amazing!
Until next time…be safe, be kind, and always be happy.
I get it. I really do. You’re contemplating using your $500 smart phone to play a child’s game and you’re not sure how to feel about this.
You want to look down your nose at all the groups running around having fun, but secretly you’re kind of jealous you’re not with them. You want to scream at people who are throwing caution to the wind, but you realize, while sitting at the red light, after 12 hours at the office and another two hours in traffic, you can’t remember the last time you went outside for anything other than picking up dog poo, and let’s face it, that isn’t the fun part of owning a dog.
Your skin is pasty, your vitamin D is low, you’re cranky, and you haven’t tried anything new since the twins were born. This is your life and it’s a good one. You are the perfect mother. You get up, get the kids ready, kiss your spouse, drop the kids off, drive to work, earn tons of money, and at the end of the day, you get to kick back in the very nice home you have worked so hard for. But you realize something is missing. You no longer have the spark you once had. You are no longer creative. Your life is on auto-pilot and for awhile
that was just fine with you, but now, you feel dull and listless.
What is missing from your life is creativity, family time, and adventure. All the things you see others enjoying and you want that too. You see everyone talking about chasing fictional characters and at first you thought it was incredibly stupid, but 3 days into this craze, and you’re thinking there might be something to this mess.
You thought you could only get those things from a vacation, a trip to a museum, or an expensive hobby teaching you to meditate or paint pretty pictures while drinking wine. While all of those things are very nice, you know your whole family can’t do all those things together and many of those hobbies are inside, which is the exact opposite of what you’re looking for in a family adventure.
So, while you watch, with aggravation, those teens dangerously crossing the road or a group of adults running down the sidewalk, you reach over, touch your phone, and wonder if you can put aside you pride and join the outrageous fun too? Yes. Yes, you can.
You can be a professional adult and enjoy a child’s game. We humans are flexible like that.
How did you get here? Don’t worry. All of America, Australia, and the other early entry countries are wondering the same thing.
You probably ended up here just like the rest of us. You were curious, all your friends are doing it, and it’s free. It’s okay. We were all where you were too. We were also worried about safety and wasting time on another game app, which will probably lose popularity very soon.
>>> Break for a PSA <<<
** Hint: As adults, there are very important safety measures to take while playing the game and I will cover these in an upcoming post, but, until then, just remember, all internet rules apply. Don’t tell strangers where you are and don’t send out beacons to your location. If you follow normal internet safety rules, the game is fun and educational. **
>>>> Back to regular programming <<<
You thought you were immune to fads such as this. You thought you were above childish games. You thought you were a mature, accomplished, professional adult, secure in your dislike for silly smart phone apps. Oregon Trail was the last video game you played and even then you only played it because it was educational.
Now, you’re bombarded with this Pokemon craze and you wonder is this is a good thing or a bad thing? But you have no clue how to find out without looking dumb.
There you are. You’re at work, minding your own business, and all of a sudden someone is standing over your shoulder. Jim, from sales, runs over to your cubicle, gleefully pointing his phone directly at your desk, pushing buttons on his screen, and having a complete conversation with an entity you can’t see. His smiles and says, “Gotcha!” He smiles at you, turns around, and goes about his day like nothing happened. You’re completely shocked. You look at your desk, you look to where he stood, you look back at your desk, and you shake your head in disbelief. You go back to typing that boring sales report wondering what in the hell just happened.
You stop and stare at your computer and think about this a moment.
One thing you noticed is Jim’s smile. Jim hasn’t smiled since the Bush administration, and after all this time, you’re not sure which Bush made him smile, but you’re pretty sure Jim 
only smiles when he hears the name Bush or Reagan, and only in the context of politics, never concerning the movies President Reagan was in, which Jim denies ever happened.
You know Jim never leaves his own area to visit other co-workers, even when Sally went into labor at her desk, or when Jack jumped on a table and proposed to Diane, Jim kept to himself, like a hamster on a wheel, continuing to stare at his work with all the joy and happiness of Eeyore. You know you’ve never seen him move very fast. He never moves faster than his chair can roll him from his desk to his filing cabinet. He is still famous for rolling his chair all the way to the break room, on the second floor, just so he didn’t have to break in a new pair of shoes. Seeing him up and moving, and of all things, smiling, baffles and almost scares you.
So, what is this Pokémon Go stuff? Why are grown, normally professional, adults, running around parks, stores, and even bathrooms, capturing invisible creatures which went out of style years ago?
You can’t escape the information. It’s on social media, it’s in the news, and everyone at work is discussing their levels, gyms, and fun family outings they have planned. Between the wars, deaths, and horrors of the world, there are these stories of people getting out of their homes for the first time, families walking together, and groups forming for friendship and collecting creatures.
How can you ignore all this wonderful fun? You realize you can’t.
You look around, grab your purse, sneak to the bathroom, check each stall, and secure the lock in the stall farthest from the door. You reach in your purse, slowly retrieve your phone, and with shaky hands, you log into your app account. You almost change your mind. Your finger is right above the install button and you are more than ready to forget this whole mess and go back to work (this is your lunch hour… Yes, of course it is).
You look at your phone and remember the smile on Jim’s face. You want that feeling. You want what he has. Life has been so burdensome lately and business reports sure aren’t making you feel silly or inspired anymore. What could it hurt just to try it this once?
You wrestle with the decision. You think, “How will it look for a professional woman driving all over town playing a silly child’s game? Would you still be respected if you asked your kids to catch Pokemon while you drive?” When could you play the game and not look silly? No one will have to know. You can play it a few minutes during lunch or on your walk after work. If this isn’t for you, you could always quit. You can always delete the app from your phone and there will be no trace you ever played. No one would be the wiser.
We’ve been right where you are.
If it makes you feel any better, there are reports of this game helping with depression, bringing people together, getting people out of the house, and yes, you did read the news correctly, someone did find a dead body while out hunting Pokeman. But think about this, had the woman not been hunting Pokeman, it may have been months or years before the man was found. At least now his family has closure. This game brought a family closure so they can move on with grieving. That is a wonderful outcome.
Being the person you are I’m sure you know people live longer and much happier and healthier lives when they have social groups to spend time with and get at least 15 minutes of sun a day. Well this game takes care of those issues all in one app.
You can set up times when you and your family go walking, and the kids will certainly want to go with you. Being the professional that you are, you could even set up a reward system for your kids on how far they walk and how many times they walk with friends and family.
You can set up competitions in your household and with other neighbors. You can plan backyard parties where others can come to your home and capture the Pokemon which live in your bushes and your pool. Maybe your neighborhood could plan progressive dinners, and each group captures Pokemon at each location. Make the games about growing and sharing. Your children and neighbors will see you as creative and fun.
Make plans to take the family to a bigger city and see all the wonderful sites around town. Make it a point to stop by each major site featured on the game and take the time to go in and shop, or if it’s museum, go see something new.
While having fun, don’t forget the wonderful photography function of the game. It’s really my favorite part of the whole game. Catch Pokemon doing all kinds of crazy stuff and add
your children and pets to the fun set up. Challenge your children, friends, and neighbors to wacky photo competitions.
See more of my own examples here:
Life is hard enough as it is. Plus, there is always so much sadness in the news, give yourself permission to be fun, silly, and childlike, even if it’s only for a few minutes a day. It’s good for your health, and happiness, and the happiness of your family too.
As you stand there, wondering if you are ready to jump on the bandwagon of a silly game, turn around, check your hip. See that small rose tattoo right at the edge of your smart $200 dress pants? Remember the fun of being young, carefree, and creative? You can have that again. It’s time to bring back a little silliness in your life. Plus, an app isn’t a forever reminder of your college trip to Vegas.
Now, go ahead, push install, and then go steal all Jim’s Pokemon! Who knows? He might smile knowing someone has come to visit him for a change.
Until next time…be safe, be kind, and always be happy.
Pokémon Go! The game that’s fun for everyone (as long as you look where you’re going)
I’m going to write more about this later today, but for now, I want to say how much fun Pokémon GO is. Even with all its glitches, there are many ways to enjoy the game, including using your camera and taking funny photos.
My cat got in on the fun! He may not have known why I was laughing, but he sure was enjoying himself in the fresh cut grass with a Pokémon riding on his head.
Here it is. This is my all-time favorite Pokémon Go photo so far.
While I’m preparing to write more concerning this app, don’t get discouraged; here are a few photos for your enjoyment. Continue reading
The first edition print of this book is selling out fast. The Vinyl Detective Mysteries – Written in Dead Wax, written by Andrew Cartmel is a fantastic mystery. If you haven’t ordered yours yet, right now is the time.
(Also, if you have already read it, or any other books, please leave a review. It’s one more nice thing you can do as a fan to support your favorite authors).
“My Vinyl Detective novel has sold out in the UK and is going into its 2nd printing… Anybody who wants a first edition should grab one now!” Andrew Cartmel (Twitter)
I’m sure he would love to hear from old and new fans.
Feel free to hop over to Twitter @andrewcartmel and tell him congrats on a job well done!
Remember to order your copy of The Vinyl Detective Mysteries – Written in Dead Wax, written by Andrew Cartmel. (Yes, that Andrew Cartmel).
Those who are familiar with Doctor Who, will immediately recognize his name as the creator of The Cartmel Masterplan. This isn’t the first time Mr. Cartmel has delved into great stories outside the Doctor Who universe while following his passions, hobbies, and interests.
His experiences reach many corners of the writing world. Besides his extensive list of writing and overseeing Doctor Who scripts, he was also the Script Editor for other television series’ (such as BBC’s popular medical drama series Casualty), he wrote many comic book stories (including Judge Dredd: Swine Fever), and worked as a magazine editor and a lecturer. This is only a glimpse into his accomplishments.
Most recently he co-wrote, with Ben Aaronovitch (another Doctor Who alumni) the highly successful comic book series, Rivers of London:…
View original post 230 more words
WOO HOO! Wal-Mart online grocery shopping is the answer to many daily problems
If you have never shared a story of mine before, this is one, which I personally request you share with all your friends. It’s the one service many of us need, if not for ourselves, then for our grandparents or a young parent in the family.
I can’t believe I’m saying this. I’m excited about shopping with Wal-Mart. Yep! Wal-Mart!
After almost a year in the news, Wal-Mart has been rolling out this service to various areas, a few at a time. Here is the link to their original story back in September 2015. I’m so glad it has finally come to Tennessee.
http://blog.walmart.com/innovation/20150929/grocery-shopping-that-works-with-your-schedule
I shop at Wal-Mart many times, but the overwhelming size of their stores, the constant noise, and all the activity, is something I survive, not something I enjoy. I try to shop at smaller corner markets or dollar stores for everyday items, but many times, these many exact items are priced higher than Wal-Mart, and I end up paying for the atmosphere, not the products. Enter online grocery shopping with grocery drive-up curb service to smaller cities.
All the savings we have come to expect from Wal-Mart, but without the fuss and the hassle of going into the store. Continue reading
I’ve been trying to say something all day, without pure anger, but I honestly haven’t been able to find the words.
So, I’m just going to say it, Christina Grimmie being murdered sucks.
I didn’t even follow her, and I only saw her once or twice on The Voice, but when I read her name I knew exactly who she was.
For someone, my age, to recognize her name, I can only imagine how big of a star she could have been in just a few short years.
She was so talented and worked very hard to get where she was.
It really breaks my heart. There are thousands and thousands of “Christinas” being killed all the time in the US and around the world.
I find a deep sadness that we lose young people every day to senseless deaths. Losing someone so young, just starting their life, and leaving behind so much unknown potential, just breaks my heart.
Yes, she was pretty and incredibly talented, but that isn’t all I’m talking about. She had more to offer. She worked hard to bring her talent to the world. Many years, before The Voice, she had already gained her own following on YouTube, and she did that through dedication and hard work. There are so many kids just like her.
There are children and young adults all over the US and the world, working hard to achieve their dreams, every day putting one foot in front of the other, knowing if they work hard enough, success will come to them, then some crazy person kills that dream in mere seconds.
We lose our children to hunger, war, abuse, the stupidity of drivers, and yes, sadly, evil murder.
She was only 22, and some man came to her concert, specifically to quiet her voice, to stop her from succeeding, and to snuff out her light.
Those kids were at the concert to have a great time, singing along to songs, enjoying the success of their new star, all while a madman (I refuse to use his name) stood next to them, not enjoying life the same way they were, but he was planning the murder of this wonderful woman.
Not only is that so sad, but as a Mom, it is equally terrifying.
I’m sad for her family, I’m terrified for all young people, and I’m just damn angry at evil people. I really hate evil people for trying to destroy beauty and love and happiness and splendor. I’m really angry at the evil people of this world for killing anything beautiful they see in this wonderful world.
I can’t even imagine what her parents and her family are going through. May they find strength in knowing how much she was loved by so many people.
RIP Christina Grimmie.
Here is Christina Grimmie singing a cover of “Say Something” by Christina Aguilera
Until next time…be safe, be kind, and always be happy
(if you haven’t, please kiss and hug your family and make sure they know you love them)
I want to send a shout out to my sister.
My two sisters and I are incredibly stubborn, so it is with great joy that my middle sister is looking at a computer with the same stubbornness she had as a young woman learning construction. (This sister worked construction, my other sister drove a dump truck, and I was in the military. When we’re together, we’re a force to be reckoned with.)
I just spent 7 hours on the phone with her and she allowed me to talk her through some computer stuff, including internet stuff. Yes. You read that right; 7 hours of computer talk (other stuff too, but mostly computer talk.)
Remember I’m learning new things too and I’m sure we both wanted to quit about 3 hours in, but we kept at it for 7 hours. That’s longer than a college computer class. I honestly didn’t think we were going to make it, but with plenty of breaks, we pushed through.
My sister is tough as nails and doesn’t let anything stand in the way of her dreams. If she has to learn all the silly buttons on a computer to accomplish her dreams, well so be it.
People who were born with computers may not understand the difficulty of accepting the use of computers in everyday life. It’s pretty frustrating when you have to learn something new every flipping year because the tech giants want to push new stuff out to the people as fast as possible. We are the generation whose vehicles lasted 20 or 30 years and the stereos we grew up with are now highly sought after. Why? Because things were built to last.
You learned to use it one time and you didn’t get another one until your children had children. Some of us are still learning to set the clock on our VCRs and new hi-tech gadgets, every year, can be incredibly overwhelming.
This new way of mass producing less-than quality products and knowing the public is forced to use them anyway is a terrible way to do business.
I’m sorry. I have to get this off my chest. I know the frustration my sister must feel each time she tries to learn something new, because these corporations frustrate me as much as they do her.
Instead of building on a foundation of learning, companies completely revamp the new programs so-much-so that it takes days to re-learn what you though you already knew how to do. Icons change, drop down position change, and user muscle memory might as well be thrown to the wind. When upgrading technology, it’s not like riding a bike. No two are the same. Instead of putting out quality products, which customers can enjoy using, companies shove new products out as fast as they can, bugs and all, and they count on the end user to be free beta testers (Windows Vista and Windows 10 I’m looking at you).
Windows 7 had such a terrible search feature, they had to create YouTube videos to teach customers how to use it and it still never works correctly. The customers are stuck with this terrible search feature (which, by the way, worked perfectly in XP) until Windows 10, but I still don’t know if they fixed it.
I’m afraid to download 10 for fear it’s as terrible as all the products before. Sure, Windows 10 might be the best one so far, but with their history of screwing things up, and my lack of trust in their products, I’m not really for certain what I’m going to get. These are supposed to be hi-tech products, not a box of chocolates.
I’ve had a personal computer since 1996. If I’m afraid of using all these new products due to the bugs and massive changes with each one, imagine how scary it is for someone who doesn’t use a computer everyday and is still running on Vista? It’s terrifying.
No one has time to learn a brand new program every few years, especially one that is broken. What the customer ends up doing is, they learn what they need and keep going forward, never using many of the many features which take up valuable memory. That’s the major issue with the companies; they don’t care that their customers never get the full experience of their products, or even if they enjoy their products, because they know the normal user will be forced to buy the new one in a few years anyway.
With the market demand of constant upgrades and the board room demanding more and more profits, the standard of products end up in the toilet. Customers are expected to purchase a broken item and then download the patches when they get home.
It’s like being expected to purchase a brand name shirt, at full price, but it’s full of holes.
When you bring this to the attention of the store owner, they explain that’s how shirts are made now. You buy the shirt and you patch it up when you get home (sometimes you’re even forced to purchase the patches separately).
What a terrible way to gain lifetime customers. The public trust is broken and no one really enjoys the products they are forced to use. Whoever thought this was a way to conduct business should be kicked in the hind parts!
(Also… Apple, what the heck is up with changing the plugs and cover sizes with every model? Instead of constantly working on the brand new upgrade, get those engineers to work on a standard power plug to use for more than one phone. Are your engineers trying to kill the Planet? It’s Okay. There isn’t a race to destroy the Earth. We’re doing just fine in that department all by ourselves. I promise. We can use the same cords for a few phone model without people thinking we’re out of style. Plus, if we didn’t have to change our home chargers, car chargers, and covers so often, maybe the older generation would be more inclined to accept your new products. I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but saving the Earth is actually in style now. It would really appreciate not having so many old cords and chargers cluttering up it’s appearance.)
After taking all this into account, it’s no wonder new users have such a hard time accepting this new world.
This is the industry my sister is trying to enter.
She grew up in a world where items were built to last and now I’m asking her to dive into a world where the customer is expected to spend a lot of money on something that is broken, then, before ever enjoying the product, the customer is expected to take hours out of their day to download updates and install patches, which hopefully will repair the broken parts of a brand new item.
If the patches or updates don’t work, then she will be expected to call the company, wait on the line, hopefully connect to someone who understands her and she understands them (more 
them likely she will need to call back multiple times to find someone who can really help her). Again, this is taking many hours out of her day and her week, and she still has not been able to use the product or program she purchased. Hopefully, at some point in the first week she can turn on her new product, and then, only then… if she hasn’t shot it first, she will be able to use her new computer or open her new program.
For my sister to have the patience to stick with me through all these explanations is a testament to how badly she wants to advance. This is a testament to her. Not the products she will be using, but a testament to how badly she wants this. This is exactly why I was on the phone with her for 7 hours. When someone wants something so badly, you don’t hang up due to time, you keep going with them, as long as you both can stand it, you keep going.
I’m not saying the conversation was easy. In fact, it was tiring. It was brain-breaking for both of us and we’re both going to pay for this tomorrow. But at any time, we could have changed the conversation. Nope. She continues to put up with me trying to explain what to do, over the phone, and she kept right on going, so I wasn’t about to stop.
To keep going proves she has serious tenacity and perseverance.
Not only did she have to put her own confidence on the back burner, while her “baby” sister instructed her, but she also had to believe the rewards would outweigh the costs.
I want my sister to enjoy the ride of learning new stuff and feel the excitement of victory over these stupid boxes that run our daily lives, so each time we came to an overly difficult part, I had to remember all the times people were patient with me while I was learning. I didn’t wake up one day knowing how to use a computer, people took the time to teach me and now I hope to teach her.
It’s actually very exciting. Life is about progressing. When your brain stops learning and stops dreaming, there is a certain amount of sadness that comes with that inactivity.
Life becomes blah. Making plans for the future, even little plans, excites the brain and puts a bounce in your step.
I know the feeling of trying so hard to accomplish something, but not knowing how to crack the code to learn.
I know the feeling of loving and dreaming about something so much, but the ability to accomplish those dreams are just outside your grasp. Sometimes the technology hasn’t been invented yet or sometimes the technology is not available to you to use. Either way, the result is the same, the dream becomes stagnate and sometimes lost forever. Tesla, Ford, Edison, and many others ran into some of the same issues. Their dreams out-paced the technology, or their ability to build the technology, to make those dreams come true.
Hearing my sister learn new and exciting things put joy in my own life. I adore hearing her squeal with happiness and laughter again. I adore hearing her “win” the battle against an unknown force.
Learning to use a computer may not seem exciting to many people, but it’s right up there with Starbucks getting your coffee order correct the first time, all the traffic lights staying green on the way to work, and your favorite song coming on just as the police pass you to pull someone else over, it’s a pretty darn good feeling to have these little victories in life go your way.
Over the next few weeks she and I will talk more and add to what we accomplished so far. Even if we have to go over a few things a few more times, that’s Okay. I know she is one smart cookie and once she sets her mind to something, nothing will stand in her way to learn it. Plus, once she learns something new, no one can stop her from reaching her goals.
As I wrote in a message a few weeks ago, taking the time to teach someone about computers (with warnings of course) will open a whole new world to them. The internet may contain some bad stuff, but it’s the good stuff that makes it all worthwhile.
I guess I better learn a whole bunch of new stuff or pretty soon I’ll need to ask her for help.
Until next time…be safe, be kind, and always be happy.
(Shhh…after all of this, please, no one tell my sister that the machine she is battling is just a place to watch cat videos. It’ll be our little secret. 😉 )
Trusted Reviews and Author Features Since 2016
What Makes Online Marketing Successful?
Poetry * Mythology * Podcast
Born a Yaad | Adventuring Abroad™
Chrissy Stroop: Writer, Speaker, Exvangelical
Commentary from a Paleoconservative and Nationalist perspective
The Physician Wellness Movement and Illegitimate Authority: The Need for Revolt and Reconstruction
writing is sorrow; having had written is sublime
Embracing, Advocating & Discovering Happiness in Mental Health
finding our way back to love
Steven A. Guglich - Author
Sci-Fi Nut First. Thriller Author Second.
In love with echoes from a different time and space.
@itsmortss
Welcome to the world of cats!
Connecting Authors and Readers
Reading. Writing. Editing.
Novelist, Poet, Wordsmith
Latest Press Releases from the Worlds of Lethbridge-Stewart
Bestselling science fiction author of The Alorian Wars
Specialised niche publishing services
A community collection of dispensary and medical marijuana products in the GTA.
global group of international organization for poverty & disable development program
Written from the heart, this is the unadulterated truth of life with multiple chronic illnesses and being housebound. My life open for you to follow. Please join me
Things I've learned. Things I've seen. Things I've experienced.
The Home Of T-Bird From The Dork Web.
"A Word of Substance"
Kindness Changes Everything
Stay full of LOVE x
Learning To Switch ~ My journey to me.
A site devoted to the Young Adult sci-fi/fantasy novel The Eye-Dancers
by Wendy Waters
"I'm told to stay strong, keep fighting; but they don't understand...I've already lost."
Jesus, Politics, and Bathroom Humor...
Grits, Hugs, and Sweet Tea 
You must be logged in to post a comment.