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Tuesday, June 24, 2014

My life Partner in my evening years!


I never once thought that one day I would be helpless without my gadgets and I could do so much at par with the so called gadgetiquettes- this is my term for people so conversant with the gadgets. 

My life Partner Now is my laptop, kids , Facebook, blog ,browsing, you tube ,WhatsApp . My exposure to typing was in 1977 and after 3 months stint gave up due to my real life partner. I had to refresh in 2001 when I was, rather ,it was made compulsory for all teachers to get themselves acquainted with 'Computers' .My little knowledge of the 3 months typing made me look like a Masters in typing. Till then I never dreamt of any opportunity to sit in front of it and learn the operations .  I always had to listen to the comment, 'oh, mathangi madam knows typing!' In  those 3 months I could not even master the basic 'asdfgf, lkjhj' and here I am appreciated and everyone came to me for assistance. It made me feel high and it was natural as others were not familiar with the letters of the keyboard and were using one finger to locate and type, I felt bored as it was always the  tasks with the partners. 


Somehow for the sake of my daughter I had to go for someone who could rent out a Desktop computer and by paying Rs. 2100/ in 2002-03 I learnt to play cards than improve my typing skills.  I had some home work to be typed for her projects and I awarded myself liberally by playing cards 60% of my time within her time for the project, even the playing was a handiwork of her!


Then came shifting to Bangalore, my son had purchased a Desktop which occupied more space with the accessories and the wires  dangling here and there - gave me an impression that I was sitting with a life support system ! It was a herculean task to push and sweep, and clean and dust . A small shake -the life line would give way and then it's 'adipidi bharathap pidi' .Start from the wires ,unplug, fix them again etc etc,if my son was there he would help but by  saying something to the educated, qualified mother's 'Anpad status' . ( kainattu, illiterate)  In his absence I would try to do the same , you know I watch him carefully when he helps me with that, and if my repeated attempts do not give me pass mark, a phone call to him would suffice.


Somehow when everyone was busy attending office, I felt bored and  with apprehension and self discouragement I tried getting close to my new partner. It's like the Tamizh saying, ' அருகிலிருந்தும் தொடப் பயந்தேனே '.


 I was damn sure nothing can go wrong as each and every wrong action gives out a command or status , irukkave irukku  Ctrl Z to get back. I learnt the shortcuts after writing them in a diary, my diary had every word uttered by my son.


I already learnt to open a mail and read, post, delete forward etc, so I began with the mails and whenever even now, anyone meets me in person , I get bombarded for just forwarding the mails. (first, all are not tech savvy,secondly do not spend much time, thirdly not interested in , they would rather go out of the house than read my mails)


At the same time I received mails appreciating my mail forwards and some started exchanging mails and  in this way I subscribed to a large number of groups and still I do the same forwarding mails of interest to the  selective readers of my mails. 


Sometimes if my net friends do not receive any mails from my end , I receive phone calls enquiring my health, family members' health and finally they come to the point stating that they are getting bored as their  in box is empty!


 For those who grumble or complain, I just stopped sending them mails and rarely they get to read one or two that to if i really feel like doing so. 


Many used to wonder how I could spend so much time in front of PC, how I could get so much materials and how much time consuming it would be to read and send to individuals or groups formed by me. 

All I do is to read and save as mails to be sent under each heading and later sit and separate them to send to groups. 

One thing I should say here is I have earned a large number of net friends  around the world and I keep interacting with them- by giving feedback, responding to some write ups, giving suggestions , details or particulars asked by them etc.The discussions are all healthy ones that too with quite elderly people who have seen this world at close quarters. 


I really appreciate some  and excited to see friends who are like me who respond for the posts and that too with netiquette in mind. 


 Two years back My daughter and son-in-law gifted me a smart phone and I was so proud of  owning it even my son did not get himself one and I learnt the operations thro 'him and some on my own.

I felt bad when she gifted me but they were happy to give me because they felt it would be useful to me and it was more than that to me.


 This smart phone gave access to Face Book, Gmail, Browsing, camera, scanning, walkman, recording etc like any other smart phones. I was thrilled for such a grand gift. The best part is the mobile charger is just like the USB chord unlike some phones where you need to have special one to connect to PC / Laptop.


The best part is I am quick in picking up things and this helps me move ahead. 

I have Skype account,upload pictures in Picasa, starting a blog- no not one personal 4 and one for my family, giving titles.... 

My blog was first started with Yahoo and it suddenly vanished and after  lot of thinking, I had one with both Tamizh and English, later felt like having a separate one for Tamizh and with the title as' karaimodumalaigal' , http://karaimodumalaigalmathangi.blogspot.in/ 

This blog has  some posts on topics of my interest, short stories, long stories, jokes collected from mails, write ups on Kanchi Mahaperiayava, information on religion, and rituals,  recipes,  and so on.  
The funny part is an illiterate in computers  has started a blog framing and designing and incorporating so many features on my own without any guidance from anyone ! This act was very well appreciated by none but my son once when he passed thro 'my blog . 

English http://scorpionwings-mathangi.blogspot.com/ -this  blog has stories penned down by me, my feelings and opinions on some happenings, incidents, something which causes concern to me, recipes from mails, my own tried recipes, the stories, thoughts ,real life incidents which I liked reading and wanted to share with others, and the real life incidents from Mahaperiyava's life history, spiritual news gathered from mail.  etc 


The third one solely for posting pictures of birds, animals all a collection from the mails I received for my grand kids, they may not be able to get a lot or know more about them.http://scorpionrainbowwingsemkaykay.blogspot.in/


 The fourth one purely for women, with fashion taking care of heir wardrobes, accessories like foot wear,  jewelery,: mehandi, interior decoration, home management,  tips for housekeeping etc all a collection from the mails I received. http://scorpionrainbowwingsemkaykay.blogspot.in/


The Skype account has helped me to connect to my daughter and granddaughter also it has given a binding to both my grand kids they keep exchanging rhymes, discuss  at their levels, show each one their collection of toys etc. It helps in connectivity. 


Though I am not an addict, for me posting in Face Book from my collection of jokes, thoughts, stories, anecdotes, cartoons etc is like having different course  and it gives me immense pleasure when I see regular  readers and their comments, in fact I have some fans, followers who keep telling me that they do read and write the thoughts in a diary as they find them very thought provoking and useful.They keep asking and wonder how I manage to get matter for all days catering to a variety - humour, moral stories, incidents, information ,religion etc. I like to change the cover photo of my FB account and keep changing my profile photos also. 


The mails which I receive in my mail box are from various group membership I have enrolled and they provide me the matters and I read and filter and pass them on to others.Many times my netfriends have requested me to re send the mails regarding some specific information, only that time I would find it difficult to rummage thro my trash and relocate to resend them. But I have always succeeded so far. 


Wherever I go I try to connect to the internet and my smart phone to keep in touch with my  oxygen. Even a day I have to spare my laptop , I feel so lifeless and I  keep telling my Daughter -in Law that I am fish out of water and my life support system is in trouble.

But sometimes I feel whether I am overdoing or what! At the same time I can't be blamed because I do not watch TV, do not go out with friends, as I hardly have any, and do not get  books to read  and I surf in net the e papers to know .I am not a film fanatic to watch movies in theaters or by watching at home thro 'TV, DVDs .

I think I am doing justice to myself by indulging myself in internet and thus avoiding all old age related problems to connect to me. 
 I am a no-nonsense- non interfering woman in my house with my family members as far as me- my net is concerned. 


P.S I have to mention that my son gifted me with a DELL laptop after finding that I keep fighting  with my husband for sharing his laptop Lenovo.


Hats off to him for  his initial training on basics. 


This laptop is sleek and elegant like me:~) and it's always plugged and ready to use as I keep frequenting even if it's just 15 min time I get to lay my hands on. Since it's ready sometimes my husband ,son all like to get 'engaged to it, and if I am free that time...


 I am like a restless poonaik kutti, So on weekends I keep some tasks ready for me to occupy myself. My son is happy but only thing is my laptop's drives are full and he says I should declutter them. Hardly I get time to do so. Mainly because I have stored all photos taken from my mobile- a majority are of my grand child-ren and I like to change the photos on the desktop , so I need to have them with me. Before going out of station, I carefully put them all in one file and see that they are not lost/ tampered with. 

 Everyone before retirement should decide on the post retirement plans other wise it's going to be hell for the family members. An idle mind is a devils workshop becomes true and it's not good to be on other's nerves all 24 X 7.I do not know how I would have spent my 10 years had it not been for the computer literacy apart from the 3 'Rs Reading, Riting, Rithmatic and computeR .

 connect to these links for more 


lhttp://scorpionwings-mathangi.blogspot.in/2009/09/my-tension.html


http://scorpionwings-mathangi.blogspot.in/2009/09/computer-literate.html

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