We all have our weaknesses
14/05/2009
We all have our weaknesses and I am now, for the first time in print going to reveal one of mine. I love gadgets.
It may be that I still long for the toys that I hardly had at home as a child of the war years. I remember the time when I was at primary school. When I had finished the lesson set by my teacher I was allowed to go to the toy cupboard and select any toy I wanted. I could select anything - from jigsaws to clockwork mice. It was a treasure trove.
Three score or more years later I still love toys, although they are now somewhat more sophisticated. The latest to find a permanent place in my briefcase is the electronic book or ‘Ebook’ as it is called.
It’s the size of a normal volume - although considerably slimmer.
Wonder of wonders, it can hold up to 300 full length books and - with the addition of a small memory storage card - goodness knows how many more can be added.
I have just finished reading Pickwick Papers and several novels by Dostoevsky and am about to reread War and Peace. I have to confess that I do prefer ‘real’ books, but if one travels a lot, as I do, and as books weigh very heavily, then the Ebook is just the thing to take on a long trip. Since the beginning of the year I have travelled right around the world and made a few side trips into Europe and so the Ebook has been always at my side.
There are literally thousands of books that one can download from the Internet and, best of all, thousands can be downloaded to a computer without any charge whatsoever.
Well, let me come to the main point of my letter to you this month and that is to ask if you have taken to using a computer yet? If you haven’t I wouldn’t be surprised. Try as I might I can’t get my wife to even consider using one. Yet a computer is so useful especially if you can’t get about as you once did or if you live alone.
Not only can you have access to thousands of books, if necessary, you can do your shopping, read the newspapers, watch films and keep in touch with your friends who also have a computer. One of my daughters works with brain-damaged children in Bolivia and not only can I speak with her via the computer I can also see her as there is a small camera in both our computers.
She speaks at regular intervals to our grandchildren and has shown them round her Bolivian apartment using the computer. Best of all, this is all free of charge!
What a change from 40 years ago when we lived in Uganda. Then we could only speak with relatives back in England with great difficulty and expense. I can say quite confidently that computers are nothing to be frightened of. I taught myself to operate one and let me assure you, if I can use one, well anyone can.
Many local authorities run classes for beginners and they cost very little. Why not open the toy cupboard and give one of the classes a try before you splash out. I doubt that you’ll regret it.