Back in the Saddle Again.

     There are some things in life we have to learn the hard way. I was told to back up my computer files, but did I listen? Nope. Harold in my writing group reminded me dozens of times to back up my novel, but I couldn't be bothered. Too lazy. 

    My computer died in December.  After a lot of anguish and hand wringing, a lot of moaning and groaning, several trips to the giant electronics store  I am back in the saddle again. With reluctance I forced my aged brain to learn about computers, but most of all I learned when a young man at an electronics store tells you anything is easy, such as "oh it's easy to  transfer information from your old hard drive to a new hard drive" don't believe him. To the geeks who work at electronics stores everything is easy. Besides learning to always back up everything, such as oh say a novel you've been working on forever, I've learned with computers easy is relative to how geeky you are. 

    Every electronics store should hire a wise and patient middle aged woman who will  take us other middle aged women by the hand, pour us a glass of  wine, and kindly help us decide what computer to purchase,explain Windows 8.1 and how to transfer photos from our phone to our computer and so on. But then I also dream of being able to eat whatever I want and never get fat and that will never happen, either.

    My screen, speakers, desk and chair are the same, all I purchased new was the tower...the brain..the big black thing in the photo above that operates the computer. Too bad I can't just buy myself a new brain. Maybe then I could remember something longer than a minute. In the end I recovered my novel and most my photos, but I lost stuff too. Lesson learned. There will continue to be lessons until I die, but that one I can check off the list.

     Anyway, I was at my writing group yesterday and my friend Denise gave us some wonderful prompts to write. I'm going to share what I wrote for one of them as I attempt to get back where I was before I lost my mind...I mean computer. Denise asked us to write a letter to our 15 year old self and wouldn't you know I happened to find a photo of my 15 year old self just the other day. Really. Thanks Denise for the great prompt!

Dear Teenager Self: 

Enjoy high school. Got to class and listen. Focus less on making the pom pom squad and more on the honor roll. Don't enroll in Home Economics just because you think it's easy. You will never want to thread a needle or cook a roast. Ever. Take Spanish and Consumer Education and don't worry about hemming skirts. 

Be happy you don't have a job, or a car payment or a mortgage or have to worry if social security will be still around when you are 65. 
All you have to do is go to school, learn and have fun with your friends. Enjoy life and don't be in such a hurry to grow up. 

Someday you will go to your 40th year class reunion and realize that boys are just human and not one of them owned a white horse and would ride you into a sunset toward a castle. Besides, who wants to clean a castle anyway.

Appreciate your young and healthy lungs, eyes and heart. Love your mind and don't worry about what  people are thinking about you as you will later see that they weren't thinking about you at all.Give your mom and dad and little brother, Billy, a lot of hugs and kisses and hold them tight as they will all be gone way too soon. 

Finally, appreciate you can wear a mini skirt and tube top as that will end, too. Love, Your younger self.

I'm closing  with a photo I took at my high school reunion this summer. I knew all these gals when they were 15 year's old. I can even remember their names...Jenny, Michelle, Debbie and Debbie, Jan, Cindy and Chris. I'd never forget their lovely faces.

Whatever they may or may not want to tell their younger selves, and I'm sure these intelligent and gorgeous women would have plenty to reflect upon, I have to say we all turned out fine.