 I am both mesmerized and terrorized by technology. I love reading about all the new apps that will make our lives easier or better. I love watching videos about new technologies that can help save our planet, cure disease, empower the less fortunate and make our future brighter. I love learning about how the internet can help us earn money from just about anywhere doing something we enjoy. But I hate the thought of actually trying any of it. Why? Because I’m afraid I will screw something up! Maybe it’s a generational thing. I’m a Baby Boomer and we are called “digital migrants”. That’s because we are migrating from the transistor and analog era. Maybe it’s because I’m so technically challenged I still don’t understand how the toaster knows when to pop up the bread or how a thermos can keep cold things cold and hot things hot. Or maybe it’s just my reasonable fear – okay, terror – that if I press the wrong button or download the wrong thing on my phone or laptop, everything will shut down for good. Note: Been there. Hated that.
And that is why what I am planning to do is so scary for me. I am going to have to swallow my fear and learn to actually use some of the free technology available so I can share my journey with others. I’m going to have to humbly ask for coaching and mentorship from people I know and some I’ve never met. My guess is that they will range in age from 10 (because they are “digital natives” AKA born into the digital era and just “get it”) to 80 (because some people just “get it” at any age). And lastly, I’m going to have to actually do this – rather than just talk, dream or fantasize about it – because now I am publicly committing to it. So that means that I’m going to feel stupid. A lot. And that’s not something anyone wants to feel. At any age. So I’m going to have to ask you for a little help – which as a Boomer male raised to be independent and self-sufficient, is a whole other kind of challenge in its own right. The first way you can help me is to laugh with me and not at me. I promise not to take my fumbling attempts, goofy mistakes and missed opportunities too seriously if you don’t either. The second way you can help is to coach or mentor me in the areas where you are strong and I am weak. Lastly, you can help me by praying that I can pull this thing off, and then join me to make sure I stay on task. Cover Contents Books Home Hire Stories Comments are closed.
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