TECHNOLOGY and TEENAGERS
What an annoying necessity it is to go for a haircut. Why do we need haircuts on such a regular basis? What was so terrible to walk around sporting a look like Lady Godiva or Cher? Must we always be so darn groomed in order to appear acceptable?
So as I was probing and considering the irritating ritual of transitioning from needing a haircut to well-groomed person, I was fuming about a totally different issue.
I have seen people casually walking around, cell phone in hand, phone encased in a battery charging case, seemingly without needing to recharge the device. But, as I learned on our summer vacation, using your cell phone to take photographs causes battery time to run down quite rapidly. One minute I was filming the Andes Mountains and suddenly my phone’s camera was dead. I would have to resort to old issues of National Geographic magazine to see real pictures.
Whether you happen to be hiking the Andes or meandering through the streets of Manhattan, what do you do if your battery needs a charge? Duck into a local clothing shop, plug it in next to the new spring suits?” Then pretend to browse while the phone recharges?
And what if you forgot to bring your charging cord?
So I was counting on a battery charging case that fits right over the phone and takes over when battery time expires. I sent for the case.
The new battery charging computer case I ordered had just arrived from Amazon before I left the house for the hairdresser.
The directions said that first I had to “open the bumper.” What language were they speaking? What is a bumper? It sounded British, but since the Brits were busy figuring out what to do with Brexit I dared not look to them for an explanation. And even if I understood the meaning of “bumper,” how would I open it? No explanations given; just orders. Since it was made in China I couldn’t call them for a lesson either.
Now if only I could attach the case to the phone I’d be happy. But try as I might I couldn’t open it to insert the phone.
As I pondered and agitated about my situation my haircut was completed. I was about to extricate myself from the chair and pay the bill when it happened. A lucky opportunity in the form of an innocent teenaged boy entering the salon. The boy asked where the ATM was, and as he withdrew the money he needed for a haircut the answer to my problem formed in my mind.
The boy started to wedge himself into the hairdresser’s chair when I casually approached him, and asked,
“Have you ever seen these kinds of chargers? “
“Sure,” was his loquacious one word reply.
“Did you ever hear of a Bumper?”
“Sure.”
“Oh, great! Would you mind showing me how to put my cell phone into it?”
He was now in his comfort zone.
He took the case and the phone and before I could say, “Split ends,” the two were entwined and functioning as one!
So the saying, “If you want to know how to do anything involving technology ask a young person!” is true.
It seems to work every time. To further prove my point, some day let me tell you how my 14 year old grandson taught me how to use the safety features on my new car!
MorristownMemos 