I have come late to the computer age. Whereas many of my contemporaries learned about and used computers in their work…it has never been a necessity for me to know how to work one. But, I finally came to the conclusion that there was a big portion of the world that I could not access because I did not understand the computer. Fortunately for me, my 3 boys grew up at the time they were beginning to teach them in school…so they have used them for many years and it comes very natural to them. Plus, they inherited some ‘smart genes’ from one of their parents. They started showing me about them several years back and then when I decided I wanted to start a blog, there were many more lessons.

Now, I do not know if the fact that I have to be shown several times how to do something new is due to my ADD or my age, or the fact that having my 3 boys around me for so many years just used up all my good sense. But, whatever the reason, it just doesn’t stick to the grey matter the first or second time. Now, I have learned to write down what they say…so I have made me a notebook of cheat sheets. I can pull it out and read my notes…in my own words and remember exactly what to do. The young men that I labored for days to bring into this world, tend to get quite exasperated when I don’t automatically remember how they said to do a certain step 2 years ago. Personally, I think it is pretty amazing that I even remember that they told me anything at all 2 years ago.
While I am sure that I have within me the ability to make this machine perform many great and wonderful tasks, I still am at the mercy of my own ‘geek squad’. A new lesson is dependent upon just how magnanimous they are feeling toward me at the time. I am reminded of the many times that I cleaned poopy diapers and training pants. I told them how it all worked…showed them where to put their ‘work’, and expected them to remember. But did they? Noooooo! So, we had to have the same lesson again and again before it sunk in. I stuck with teaching them these manners because I wanted them to be liked and accepted by their peers. I wanted people to enjoy being around them and I wanted them to be able to do what all the other kids were doing. It took time, and eventually they learned where it was permissible to make a deposit. Oh, I well remember my loving and patient talks with them, carefully pointing out the error of their ways, and sweetly encouraging them to try harder. Lesson upon lesson upon lesson. Careful explanations, complete with show and tell to make sure it was fully understood. When they would come to me and say, “Mommy, I forgot what it was you said about using the potty, would you tell me again?” I would caress their soft hair and pull them onto my lap, and carefully explain it one more time. Oh, yes, that is exactly the way I remember it. And, they finally got it!

So, boys…you owe me a few more lessons…now stop that griping. You don’t have to pat me on the head and I don’t want to sit on your lap…you don’t even have to get your hands dirty!
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“He that has ears, let him hear.” Matthew 11:15