I’m not a Techie kind of guy… When it comes to technology, just turning a device on is a challenge. I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time in front of computer screens scratching my head and wondering where “it” went when I saved it… Or wondering if a “Fatal Error” is as serious as it sounds.
When it comes to technology, I often find myself surrounded by people speaking English but in a different language. You know what I mean? They’re using words that make no sense to me… For example, the other day I overheard a conversation about the importance of the “Cloud” in the future. I thought I knew what clouds were, but now I’m not so sure. They were young people of course and seemed to be talking about technological stuff. It made my head swim.
You can’t just push an “ON” button anymore and expect to know how things work. Technology seems to have a lot of secrets buried in the vernacular. My kids tell me, “Don’t worry Dad, it’s intuitive.”…. Right!
The whole idea for the cartoon came to me when I was tearing my hair out… well, not actually tearing my hair out. I don’t have any hair to tear out anymore. You know what I mean. I was looking for a padded room to vent my frustration with computers, etc. My inner voice said, “This is going to drive me crazy!” My other inner voice (They talk a lot…) replied, “You should ask for help.”
Asking for “Help” can mean a lot of things. To a guy, it means surrender. It would be like asking for directions. Who actually does that? Or,… even worse… seeing a therapist and admitting you don’t know what to do! As I listened to the voices inside my head sort it out, it occurred to me a new field of Psychology would emerge. One that would help people like me. That other voice, the cartoon idea guy, whispered in my inner ear, “Do a cartoon about it. Maybe no one will notice you don’t have a clue…”
I rest my case…