Learing Curves

I bought an i*hone. It's like my third cell phone ever. I have never had an i*od, never logged into i*unes. My only e-mail account is my work account. I always just used the free cell phone that came with my plan. That phone only had about 20 phone numbers in it...no addresses, e-mails, birthdays. I use paper and pen for addresses, to-do lists, calenders. I play actual CD's (and a few tapes as well).

I have no idea what I am doing. No idea about syncing, playing music, etc. My learning curve will be steep.

Since Saturday I have imported all my CD's, had to type in my contact information THREE times (because I'm an idiot!), and decided to use Out*look for my contacts and calender cuz that's the only program I can get to sync with the phone. (Now I need to learn how to use Outlook). So much to learn.

My 18-year-old tech-geek step-son is useless because he constantly speaks over my head. Like most geeks he lacks the ability to talk to people in a way that is understandable or does not drip with disdain when they have to explain what their lingo means. They take it as some sign of your stupidity...but really, if you can't explain something in simple terms then who is the stupid one I ask you?

I'm so close to giving up on this but I wont cuz I'm not a quitter. I hate feeling stupid. I hate not knowing...I don't even know enough to know what to ask. I now have "cord management" issues. How did I get this behind? If I don't do this now I will never be able to catch up. I'll be some old technophobe. Must push on. Must learn. Must overcome.


While I was in line I noticed there were a-lot of teenagers and I thought, "Where the hell do they get that kind of money?" Including my step-son who hasn't paid us the money he owes us (rent, small car wreck) and yet bought the new phone the day it came out (never mind that his "old" i*pone is only a year old).

I asked the college student behind me in line which phone he was getting. He said the 16GB (vs 8GB). The 16GB is $100 dollars more than the 8GB. When he asked me the same I said I was getting the 16 as well. He was all, "Why do you need the 16? That's like 3000 songs". And I was all, "Why do YOU need the 16. I'm twice your age...that's a lot of music. We're talking Duran Duran and Peter Gabriel all the way to Coldplay". I guarantee I have more music than you.* Plus, I make a good living. I have money. What did you pull-downlast year, Jr.? Yea, I thought so." And all the adults in line snickered and nodded along.

*OK I really stopped talking here *. I did not chide him for being a money-sucking teenage-bum. But I wanted to. The adults still snickered and nodded. Plus, they were going to run out of the 16 right around ME so I figured why not get the big one? I will use this thing forever unlike teenagers who will only have it until the next one comes out. Plus, if I get to screw one of them out of a 16 that would be icing on the icake.

Sorry kid. You should have set your alarm for 9:30 instead of 10. Being old sucks but you do become an early riser and that does have some advantages.

The thing with arrogant teenagers is: Life has a way of humbling you. It does it to us all. If you fuck around you increase your chances of failure. Even of you work-hard and plan-well you might not get your heart's desire. Someday it happens to us all. And we look back at the arrogance of youth and say: just wait.

The key is to not let is kill you. Keeping your drive, spirit, hope and joy for life even after a few hard smack-downs is something not everyone learns to do.

That's one learning curve I'm happy to have behind me.

Oh and BTW College-kid, I already have 5GB on my phone and that's only music I already own. No new music downloads, movies, podcasts yet. I don't know how to yet.