How Much Do You Know?

I was once asked, “Do you know a lot about computers?”

I didn’t know how to answer that question. I know what I know, but I’ve just picked up my knowledge little by little as I was faced with particular situations. I never took a course in Computer Science or Information Technology. When I was in school those subjects were part of the Math Department which I avoided like the plague because, really, Math and I don’t get along very well.

So the best answer to that question is, “I know enough to know that there’s a lot I don’t know.”

Each time I’m faced with a new computer mystery I search online for an answer but a part of me is always wondering if there’s one thing I left out. Just one little thing about that component or software glitch that I didn’t realize might come into play so I didn’t bother combing online forums to see if anybody else had been tripped up by that, too, when they tried to fix this one little thing that’s gone wrong with my computer.

That kind of thinking can lead to a Technology-Paranoia-induced paralysis which results in multiple Windows computers in varying stages of assembly filling up the floor of my living room while I use the one Mac in the room to continue with my usual work as a writer/photographer/artist or whatever I’m calling myself this week.

These techno-DIY projects have taught me some lessons about life and God....

1. I know enough to know that there’s a lot I don’t know.

I grew up in a Southern Baptist home and most of my life has been spent around people who were very sure of their beliefs and their particular interpretation of Scripture. The more time I’ve spent around people whose beliefs differed from mine, the more I could see God relating to people in different ways. I could not deny the Fruits of the Spirit I saw in their lives but I knew they’d never walked down the aisle of a Baptist church or been baptized by immersion as I was. I know it’s possible to share my interpretation of Scripture with them and listen to theirs without either of us feeling threatened or judged. How about that? I don’t know why God relates to each of us the way he does. That’s just one of the things I don’t know yet.

2. You get what you pay for… or … You get out of it what you put into it.

The more time I spend reading about computers, taking them apart and putting them back together, talking to other people who know about computers, the more confident I am in my knowledge of them. The more time I spend focusing on the spiritual side of life, listening for a word from God, looking for Him in others, the more aware I am of my place in the universe and of God’s love for me.

I used to work with a young man in the seminary Print Shop and now and then forgetful professors would come to him with a big rush job, begging him to run copies immediately. He’d look at them with a slow smile and say, “How much is it worth to you?”

So, how much is it worth to you to really know what you want to know?

3. Stick with what works best for you.

My husband and I bought the original Macintosh when it came out in 1984 and used it for years until an upgrade was needed and it was clear that we would not be able to afford Apple’s pricey machines, even if they were worth every penny. We’ve been PC users, exclusively, until my daughter gave me her old iMac. I’ve only been using this  iMac for a few months but I have to admit, I do love it. I’m sure I’ll always keep a PC around for things I have to do with PC-only apps but I’m hoping to stay with Macs from now on.

The lesson I take from this is that it’s important to know what works for you and go with that, whether it’s what you expected or not. 

When I was growing up I expected that I would remain Southern Baptist all my life but things changed. The denomination took a definite turn to the right just as my personal beliefs were becoming more clear to me and I could easily see that we were no longer a good match for each other. Some of my old Southern Baptist friends may be praying for my salvation now when they read certain posts on my Facebook page but I don’t mind. I know what makes sense for me and I’m sticking with that, regardless of what others may do or think or even what my own opinions may have been in the past.

It’s amazing what you can learn from technology, isn’t it?

New Horizons In Technology

I am nothing if not cutting edge. I come by it honestly, too. When I was a little girl my dad started a new business and turned half of our garage into an office. I'd come in from school and help him sort punch cards for his database of subscribers and operate a mechanical collator to help with his mailings. He had a wonderful gadget for dictating letters that would record his voice to thin plastic disk just like those single 78s you'd get at the record store only a little thinner and kind of floppy.

That was cutting edge in 1965!

I've always been curious about what's new in technology. I'll read up on the latest gadgets and all their features and figure out which ones would be right for me. That way I'll know exactly what to buy when my Publisher's Clearinghouse check comes in.

Hey, it could happen.

My husband and I bought the very first Apple Macintosh computer in 1984 with its whopping 128k of RAM and its single 400k floppy drive. Who needs a hard drive anyway? We had matching Palm IIIe PDAs before most of our friends had anything like that. We could often be seen beaming important contact information or documents back and forth to each other.

That's not to say we've ever made a habit out of buying the first and the best new items on the market. Except for the Macintosh, which we knew would last us for years. And we did, indeed, use it for years, long after upgrades and newer models had passed us by.

Now I've given up the Palm Zire 72 I've been using for years and I'm getting used to the Palm TX that once belonged to my husband (he graduated to an Ipod Touch he got for Christmas). The Palm TX has a faster processor, larger screen, and more memory. One thing I'm really enjoying about it is the portable bluetooth keyboard my husband had for this. Now I can sit in my rocking chair, put my feet up on my footstool and write my blog entries (like this one) much more comfortably than sitting at my desktop computer. It doesn't matter if it's not cutting edge, as long as it gets the job done.


Who knows, maybe I'll be inclined to write more often. I might even get started on one of those books I've still got tucked away in my head....

Hey, it could happen!

Listen

In a few hours the president will give his State of the Union address. I'll tune in, like I always do, because I'd rather watch it and draw my own conclusions instead of waiting for somebody else in the news media to tell me what they think I'm supposed to think about it.

Earlier today I was glued to a website that offered live-blogging of the Apple event that announced the new iPad. I couldn't attend the event but I wanted to see for myself what the presentation actually said and get my own first impression as best I could before reading the tech bloggers and news media reports about this gadget that may or my not be revolutionary.

Watching what people are saying on twitter about this gadget shows that the opinions are many and varied and quite a few people are, shall we say, not entirely sold on the name yet. But some of the comments show how well people are listening, or rather, what they were listening for.

For some, the things this gadget will do fall by the wayside if it doesn't do that one thing you wanted most... whatever that may be. Plug your TV into the video-out port... no, it doesn't have one of those. Make phone calls with it? No, it's not a phone. What?! No camera?! Not this time.

Considering the leaps and bounds of the technology industry it's still a pretty impressive gadget. My husband and I bought the original Macintosh when it came out in 1984, with it's 128k ram, single 400k floppy drive, no hard drive, and greyscale screen and it was pretty impressive back then, too. Guess everybody's got to start somewhere. (Personally, I was reminded of the PADD or Personal Access Display Device from Star Trek: The Next Generation, which I thought was pretty cool!)

The reason I mention the State of the Union speech and this announcement from Apple in the same blog post is because I want to challenge you to do something tonight that some did not do this afternoon.

Listen.

Don't listen for anything in particular that you're hoping he'll say. Don't eagerly await the utterance of certain buzzwords that will give you the excuse you need to jump up on your own soapbox and wave your banner for whatever cause has ignited your passion these days.

Just listen to what the man has to say. And while you're listening, don't turn on that internal translator that says "Well, what he really means by that is...".

Just listen ... once ... all the way through.

Then take some time to think about what he's said and draw your own conclusions about what it means and what you need to do about it.

Then you can turn over the reins to your preferred network and let them lead you around by the nose if that's your thing.


The economy....

Global politics....

The impact of technology on our everyday lives....


I think if we're ever going to find the answers we seek we have to start by listening to each other.