Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes

Watching the news the other morning, basically trying to discover if there was any respite from all this appalling weather, there was a story about children as young as six and seven in Estonia that were being taught not only to use computers but to program them too. I watched them as they made a small robot move around and Skype like professionals, their little faces animated and eager. Something suddenly struck me, they were having fun!

What a great idea I thought, then they won’t grow into incompetent adults like me, unable to grasp even the basic fundamentals.

I seem to have been struggling with some computer or other for more than 30 years. The very first time I was introduced to the little square box of torment was when someone suggested that I could play chess on one and that it was easy. All I had to do was program it in and I was all set.

Well, I tried.

For hours, I sat and entered all these numbers and symbols only for nothing to happen. No chessboard appeared, but was I daunted? Not a bit.

I knew it had to be complicated, but also knew quite early on that I probably didn’t have the sort of brain that was obviously required. I eventually I sought help, to be told I must have mistyped the series of numbers. Apparently, if just one digit is missing, nothing will happen.

This will never catch on, I thought. It’s far too complicated. You would need to be Einstein at the very least, someone I was so far removed from as to be on another planet!

For years, I stayed away from anything that looked even remotely like a computer until I was introduced to Amstrad, the word processing machine. I had been typing up Anita’s manuscripts on a battered old typewriter and the thought of something quicker and more efficient was more than enough to get me interested.

It was quite easy to use, with the added bonus that there was a printer attached. In many ways, the Amstrad was magic and before long, I was well and truly hooked. It also had the facility to play solitaire, something I am addicted to, even now. This eventually led me to a proper computer, which turned out to be a lot easier than the first time I tried, as there was no more programming required. This is what progress is all about I thought, but sadly it was me that hadn’t.

Even now, there are days when my PC refuses to do even the simplest of things and kicks me into touch. I have to storm out of the room, defeated once again as I find most things to do with a PC very complicated, confusing and irrational. How much easier it might have been if I had learned the basics at school.

Watching those children in Estonia actually enjoying their computers and smart phones, I was green with envy, if only because I believe you should always enjoy what you do or it’s just no fun.

It is a quandary, because I do enjoy writing, and almost enjoy formatting, uploading, and all the other stuff you have to do to self-publish these days. But on those dark days when my computer is uncooperative and makes me feel totally inadequate, I wish that I had been taught how to use a PC properly.

I have learnt so much from just trial and error, and on a good day even a little proud of my achievements, but there is so much more I wish I knew. Sometimes I think I could write a book about all the stuff I want to know, but that would help no one, would it?

Children are our future and so are computers. It was good to see them hand in hand and having fun…

See you all next week, maybe the weather will be a little kinder then for us all…

© 2015 Jaye Marie