Technology Challenged? You’re Not Alone
For a while now, I’ve been having hints that my computer was on its last legs. Never a good thing for anyone, but for a writer—it can be disastrous, especially if your work hasn’t been backed up.
Black Screen
I pulled up a page from the internet that I needed when I heard this musical little bliiiip. Black screen stares back at me. I tried everything I knew. Unplug power cord from computer. Reinsert. Unplug power cord from APC. Plug in again. Hit power button. The light flashes five times. Nothing. Okay, time to call in the experts.
I pick up my cell phone and text my son, Adam. Call me. Help!!
He calls within seconds and I tell him all of the above. I won’t bore you with all the details, but for ninety minutes, Adam and I went through every single action he could think of. I even went to the garage for a small screwdriver and removed the battery pack from my computer, a laptop. We went through several promptings from Toshiba (yes, I have a dinosaur which is no longer made).
New Computer on the Horizon
Blue Screen
I plug that end into the black cube and the other end into the APC. Then I plug in the other end, the long skinny cord that plugs into the computer. I push the power button and voila! My old computer is booting up. I have a blue screen. Up comes Toshiba. Whew!
When I called Adam to tell him, he burst into laughter. I had visions of him rolling on the floor. His remark to me was, I should have begun with all of that, but I didn’t want to insult your intelligence. In this case, he should have let the insults fly. And besides, when one is this techie-challenged, nothing can be considered an insult.
So here I am, it’s Tuesday night, and I’m composing my next blog post which will go out Thursday morning. I hope you enjoy an early morning laugh on me. I can tell you, I’m just glad things turned out this way. Techie challenged? You betcha. I guess I wouldn’t be me otherwise.
Does today’s technology frustrate you, give you pause? Share an experience with us. We will laugh with you, not at you, I promise.
The Conversation
Too funny!! I have a story like that with a photo SD card, before our phones had great cameras. y advice? Invest in a MacBook. You'll love it.