How I wish you all could meet my 86-year-old mom-in-law. She’s amazing. I think if she were young in the world today, she would be a computer programmer. But she also still has the traditional homey gifts of cooking and sewing, etc. For me that’s an either/or. I can rock a computer…but sewing? Not so much. And one of my husband’s favorite lines is “Chrissie….back away from the kitchen….” (said in love, I swear, so I take no offense).
The thing is, in past years, she hasn’t realized how amazing she is or how technical she is.
This kind of blows my mind since she was a Brooklyn phone operator who had to look things up super fast to connect people. Tech is in her blood, yet she thinks she isn’t great at it.
But recently this is changing. Now that we are forced to do more at home due to the stay-at-home orders as the Covid-19 pandemic sweeps the nation, she’s realizing the practicality of online banking (yes, you can even do it on a Sunday 🙂 ) and of getting books to read from an online library. Church is great on Zoom and one can fill in a census and talk with friends all on the same device. We can even get our groceries online. Amazing. It’s clicking like it never clicked before, and it’s really fun to watch the confidence grow.
As I work in customer support, it surprises me how many people come in saying that they are old. I’m always quick to remind them that the inventor of the World Wide Web was born in 1955. That’s not terribly young. I wish older people would give themselves more credit and realize how much knowledge they have and how much they have to offer the world.
13 responses to “A Whole New World”
Your MIL is fantastic, and I love that photo of her looking so at home with a tablet.
🙂 I’ll share that with her.
Having been brought into this world a few years prior to 1955, (1943) my grandchildren are my greatest attributes in the Tech world. I do refer to your trades posts from time to time for WordPress updates and such. “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets came out in 1955, we are certainly rocking around the clock today. In 1943 the slogan, ‘We can do it” appeared. I would rather stop rocking around the clock and just do it. Peace and be safe my friend.
Love the “Just do It” idea. Even better than we can do it.
I love Bill Haley & the Comets. They were my babysitter when I was growing up. Not literally but my mom only had to put the album on, give me my Barbies and I was occupied through both sides of the record. 💕
With you there, have a bunch of selfishness out there that Just won’t do it!!
Chrissie, your mother-in-law is amazing! My mom never could get it before she passed away at 67 a few years ago. 🥰
It was a long process getting her comfortable with it all. I’ll write about it sometime. But the confidence was/is the key. I’m certain of it.
I think keeping the mind young is the key to longevity. Bless your patience! 😊
Wow!! Good for your MIL!!! She’s got 12 years up on me; I hope at her age I’ll be as spry and tech-y! 😀
I bet you will be 🙂 My money is on it.
Thanks! 😊
Good morning and thank you very much for this great article, dear Chrissie.it does not surprise me that much that your Grandma is quickly adapting to the New Reality that came crushing on all of us as she is part of the greatest American Generation of all times, the post World War II cohort of survivors and their children. Their world was upended brutally (not as hard as ours) and they quickly adapted with ingenuity and good predisposition for the sake of the societal good. Many good civic changes came out of that terrible conflict, which we hope will happen again once this pandemic finally eases, God willing. A big kiss.