Now, this might not sound like a big deal to you, but it is to me.
In the past week, I managed to 1. buy a HP all-in-one-printer 2. set up the wireless connection for it and 3. set up my desktop, laptop, and my sister’s desktop to print from it, all by myself. All that without having to call customer support or a friend… and no tears or drama, not even a broken nail.
Now, HP makes good products and has easy-to-follow directions. But I’m going to take part of the credit, because generally when it comes to things mechanical, I’m pretty much hopeless. In fact, I still have trouble changing the channel on our TV, and don’t ask me how to get the DVD player to work.
When I’m out of my comfort zone, I tend to get impatient and anxious and nervous rather than to breathe deeply and think. The stuff I know, I know… tell me you want a presentation on book proposals or the craft of fiction or publishing today, and I can give you five minutes or an hour, no problem. Tell me you want a devotional, and I can write to fit, anywhere between 175 and 500 words, no problem. But tell me to set up a piece of technology and, well, where’s my sister (or, in the alternative, where’s that customer service number and bag of potato chips, please)?
Maybe it was because I’d spent part of the holiday weekend with a couple of people I treasure, so I was feeling happy and relaxed. Maybe it just seemed silly to have that box sitting, staring at me until my sister is home again later this week.
Or maybe, just maybe, I’ve grown a little in self-confidence and patience.
