I couldn't understand how people could drive their cars around without having a clue about how they work. It just seemed crazy to me. They knew how to put gas in the thing and start it up but nothing much beyond that. Well I think I'm starting to understand, only the thing is computers. I have been using them for years now and really have little understanding of them. Just yesterday I wanted to connect my printer to my wife's laptop. Hey the printer has Wi-Fi and her computer is on the network so it should be easy enough. Wrong ! I know nothing about doing this and reading the instructions only makes it worse. Very frustrating. If I could write computer code I suppose it wouldn't be a problem but I'm clueless. Yet, I continue to " drive " this computer. What makes it worse is I don't really care to learn either. I will either do without or hire someone to " fix " the problem. Just like those people driving their cars around. Oh, I've tried to educate myself a little bit but it is no use, I can't remember half of what I " learned. " Type this command or that command in the browser ? I do it once, it works and I move on. If I ever need to do that again I have to relearn it. I understand now, I just want to drive it and get where I'm going. I don't care how it works, as long as it works. An attitude I have finally come to grips with.
This all stems from my childhood. I grew up in a family of modest means. We were taught to " do it yourself " whenever possible. If you wanted something, you built it or repaired an old one someone else had discarded. If something broke you didn't call a repairman, you fixed it. That was true, except for television. You just checked the tubes in that and the fuse. Anything beyond that you had to call the television repair man. Now, he has been replaced by the computer guy. Some of those guys will make house calls but mostly you need to take the computer to them. I took almost every course offered in Industrial Arts. I learned about electricity, carpentry, working sheet metal, ceramics, and welding. That education has served me well over the years. Then these computers entered the scene. I have never taken a course about them and never will. I get it now, I'm just not that interested. When that darn thing doesn't work I still try to repair it, old habits die hard, but usually wind up frustrated. I buy a new computer. With this printer issue I'll more than likely just hook it up with a cord. That'll solve that issue.
Everything changes over time. This is another one of those things. What we called making do in now called call " crafting. " Buy and replace is the order of the day. The things made today are made with that in mind. A lot of the things couldn't be repaired if you wanted to. I guess I'm a bit old school in that regard. I would much rather repair something and continue to use it than replace it. I take a certain satisfaction in having done so. It doesn't have a thing to do with recycling, repurposing or being cheap. It is solely a matter of personal pride in having accomplished something constructive. Yeah, I fixed that. I'm the man ! That's what we do. Except for computers. call a geek.
This all stems from my childhood. I grew up in a family of modest means. We were taught to " do it yourself " whenever possible. If you wanted something, you built it or repaired an old one someone else had discarded. If something broke you didn't call a repairman, you fixed it. That was true, except for television. You just checked the tubes in that and the fuse. Anything beyond that you had to call the television repair man. Now, he has been replaced by the computer guy. Some of those guys will make house calls but mostly you need to take the computer to them. I took almost every course offered in Industrial Arts. I learned about electricity, carpentry, working sheet metal, ceramics, and welding. That education has served me well over the years. Then these computers entered the scene. I have never taken a course about them and never will. I get it now, I'm just not that interested. When that darn thing doesn't work I still try to repair it, old habits die hard, but usually wind up frustrated. I buy a new computer. With this printer issue I'll more than likely just hook it up with a cord. That'll solve that issue.
Everything changes over time. This is another one of those things. What we called making do in now called call " crafting. " Buy and replace is the order of the day. The things made today are made with that in mind. A lot of the things couldn't be repaired if you wanted to. I guess I'm a bit old school in that regard. I would much rather repair something and continue to use it than replace it. I take a certain satisfaction in having done so. It doesn't have a thing to do with recycling, repurposing or being cheap. It is solely a matter of personal pride in having accomplished something constructive. Yeah, I fixed that. I'm the man ! That's what we do. Except for computers. call a geek.
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