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Discovering the Golden Years |
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This is the first sunrise of the New Millennium.
Hug Your Computer(s) EverydayPeople have various takes on computers, some of us love them
and have spent our whole lives using them extensively. I like to think of
myself as the original nerd. Other people haven’t had that same inclination
toward computers or maybe had some bad experiences with them in the early
days of the PC revolution. The main point of this essay is that which ever
group you tend to fall into; I strongly suggest that there are many very
good reasons why in your retirement you should hug your computer a little
closer. If you don’t have a computer or have never had a computer;
call Dell and order one of their $500 computers and invite your
grandchildren or borrow a neighborhood ten year old over to teach you how
to operate the computer. This is a good way to meet the youngest generation
and establish a relationship with them. Increasing the amount of time you
spend with young people should be the subject of another essay, but the
point here is some how break through the barrier and begin learning to use
a computer. Eventually you will also need to have your computer connected
to the Internet. The computer is a conduit for information. It allows you to
send, receive and process information. This statement in its abstract
generalization doesn’t sound compelling; it needs amplification. A computer allows you to communicate with family, friends and
many people you might want to get services from. You can email you
children, grandchildren and old friends on a frequent basis. A burst of 20
to 50 words expressing an idea, a question or a proposed future activity can
become the highlight of someone else’s day. At a minimum it tells them that
you are thinking of them. But it also allows an intimate dialogue that
builds a relationship one email at a time. Because emailing is asynchronous
(doesn’t happen at the same time), your ideas can be developed a fully as
you would like. You don’t get interrupted. Your idea is documented and when
the person who you are trying to communicate with has available time your
thought is sitting there waiting for their attention. Your emails can also
be permanently saved for future reference. Some people fear that email
might easily become a substitute for personal face to face interaction. I
tend to think communication actually facilitate more face to face
interaction by allowing easier communication to arrange calendar
coordination to find a time for meeting in person. Computers also have become a tremendous way to get valuable,
useful information. Google is an Internet service that allows you to find
information on nearly any topic. You just type the question or the key
words into the Google window and you get thousands of answers that come to
you prioritized based on the value that previous people who have ask this
same question place on the response. Almost everyone that has experienced
Google is amazed by the value of the responses that they get. You could be
looking for medical advice or maybe just looking for a definition of the
word that your Doctor uses to describe your condition. You could be looking
for investment advice or looking for a home loan or perhaps a new
automobile. You could be trying to find out information on you health
insurance. The information possibilities are unlimited. Perhaps even more important than the information subjects that
I have only begun to develop in this essay. The computer interaction
engages your mind in problem solution and encourages you to learn new
things every day. It is also very painless because your computer encourages
you to learn by trial and error without any embarrassment. There certainly
can be frustration in the early stages of any learning situation. But
ultimately there is the satisfaction of understanding and expanding skill. |
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