Computer Help

I love my computer.  I love all the things it can do and all the places it can take me.  I write on it, do our accounts on it, shop on it, organize on it and dozens of other things.  However, for all of the things that I do on a computer I am not computer literate.  I haven't a clue how they work.  I know how to do what I do and that's about it.  When something goes wrong with it I call for help, quickly!  Fortunately for me, I bought my computer locally so when it's a hardware problem I call the wonderful people that own the little computer store in our community.  They are endlessly patient and helpful.  If it is an Internet problem I call the people that provide my Internet service.  They have a wonderful "techie" who will answer any question and if needed they will send a serviceman quickly. 

However, if it is a software problem, I am toast.  First of all they will send you to a website that will take you though endless pages of questions and answers.  After reading them all, I usually discover that they don't answer my question at all.  Then you have to fill out a e-mail request for help.  (which will be answered sometime) or you have to give in a call the help line.

Last December I finally gave up on trying to make my Quicken program write checks in sequence.  It would print one on a page, then two on a page or maybe three but never without skipping some in the middle.  This messes up my check numbers something fierce.  So after reading all the questions and answers, e-mailing my question, and waiting....I decided I would give in a call the help line.  Help lines are a problem for me for two reasons.  One is language and two is language. 

The first language problem is that I really don't understand computer talk.  They tell me to find something on my computer and I don't have a clue where to look.  They ask me a question about my computer and I don't have any idea what they are asking.  They tell me to do something and then they have to guide me through it step by step. They use terms I don't understand and then I feel like an idiot for having to ask again.  I am a literally computer illiterate.  This creates lots of frustration on their part and mine. 

The second language problem is that computer help lines are outsourced to other countries.  I'm from the south--I have a strange accent.  They are from India and they have a strange accent.  It's a lot like a chicken and a cow trying to have a conversation.  There are a lot of words going back and forth but not a lot of communication.  Add this language problem to the computer language problem and I have a real challenge.

So I called India and asked for help.  Luckily for me my "help" actually spoke very good English, although with a heavy accent.  He was very knowledgeable and certainly knew what he was doing.  He also was very patient, both with my requests for him to repeat himself and with my total ignorance about my computer.    Eventually we got to the point where we were waiting for a "patch" to download to my computer and to see if it would work.  While we were waiting I just couldn't sit with a phone to my ear and not talk.  So I started asking about his job and himself.  I found that he was single and worked mostly at night, but was filling in for a friend on this particular day.  He was interested in our plans for Christmas.  He said he wasn't a Christian but would be celebrating Christmas with some friends.  This would be his first Christmas and he was very excited.  He in turn wanted to know if we would be having snow (we did) and if my family would be all together (we were). 

I hung up from my call with a feeling of having connected with a young man from around the world.  We had shared a moment and learned a little about another culture.  Maybe he thinks about the lady from Kentucky sometimes.  I know I wonder about him.

I may get another chance to visit--the patch didn't fix it!