Computing...

I currently work in a computer lab at the local university. Since it is summer, all the college kids are away, and campus has been infested with old people.

Infested.

(Let me just say now, I'm not a big fan of kids, or old people. They freak me out for some weird reason.)

The old people are summer citizens, snowbirds. Where I live is a lot cooler climate in the summertime compared to California, or Florida. And these old people, are basically computer challenged. Which is fine, but I always have to suppress a fit of giggles when asked how to get to the internet. Or help them find their email log-in page.

This morning, one conversation went as follows:

"I need help scanning something in." -O.D. (Old Dude)
"Sure, not a problem. Let me get you logged into the computer, and we'll get started." -Me
"This document here got a little wet on my way over here. I cut through the cemetery instead of walking around it." -O.D
"Well, don't worry about it, it's just a little damp on the edges. I'm sure it'll work just fine." -Me
"This is for my son, who causes nothing but problems for me!" -O.D.
"I'm really sorry to hear that, Sir. Ok, right here, I am previewing the image to make sure we scan in what you need, alright?" -Me
"Ok, oh, just save it to documents. That's where I always save it." - OD.
"Are you sending these documents as an email? We can just save them to the desktop, and they'll be easy to find when we attach them to your email." -Me
"Sure, sure. Yes, email." OD
He takes about 5 minutes to log into his email, telling me all the while how his son is such a burden to him, but at the same time how he is a successful Bed&Breakfast owner and is doing quite well.

Long story short, we got the jpgs emailed to his son, and I was free to help another old guy print out a picture of a bird. ("Emailed to him by his daughter who went on a 2-week trip to the Galapagos Islands, and how they put a little chip into their digital camera, and guess how many pictures they took! 5,000!" - sorry, still giggling over that one.)

It's so cute to hear these old people jabber on about their kids (& grandkids), and what they are doing, and blah blah blah.

It also scares the crap out of me. I don't want to get old, and be that old person that is just a little bit behind the times, constantly asking for help. Maybe that's why old people freak me out, I don't want to get old... hm.