Another Life
Challenge
Copyright 2005 by Suzy Wurtz
Our lives are filled with challenges.
Some challenges we meet with enthusiasm, some challenges we meet with
indifference. Then there are those life challenges that we meet with dread. Of
course, I refer to the dreaded challenge of electronic equipment.
I’m a classic victim of abuse, really. I keep embracing the
technology thinking that it will get easier, only to have it beat me up again
and again.
I wanted to tape a program that featured our teenager on the
local cable access channel, so I rounded up a couple machines of various
vintages that said “VCR” on them. Some of them played tapes, but none of these
old machines could actually do the “R” part of VCR, namely, record. With a few
short sentences, I convinced my husband that I needed to buy a newfangled
combination DVD/VCR recorder. After all, DVDs are the storage media of the
future---at least for a few years.
My spiel was only those few short sentences because my
husband was recovering from a serious surgery and he was under the influence of
painkillers. But for the record, your honor, he DID nod his head up and down.
I stood in front of the recorder shelves at the discount
store for a half hour, and then picked a unit that “went both ways.” It would
record from DVD to VCR and from VCR to DVD, plus it would record on either media
from the television. I was all a-tingle to think that finally I could transfer
those home movies on cassette to DVDs, where they could be easily edited.
You already know the rest of the story, don’t you? The
tickly tingle of imagination soon gave way to the prickly tingle of irritation.
Because the “quick set up” pamphlet made little sense, I
pored over the complicated instruction book to connect the darn thing. I had
four hours to figure it all out before “show time.” I was truly overwhelmed and
spent an hour making loud sighing sounds. Then I added another sound, the
opening-of-yet-another-beer sound. My husband realized that he would get little
rest with me pacing around the house throwing insults at various electronics
companies, 21st century technologies, computer geeks, and inept
technical writers.
With his own sighs, he spent a narcotic-laced 30 minutes
retrofitting our outdated television to the new unit. He came out and wearily
announced that it was hooked up and ready to go. Then he retreated to his lounge
chair, wryly commenting that it sure was good to be home from the hospital.
I taped the show on the videocassette part of the machine,
pleased that it was recorded for history. I was also pleased to imagine that
once I slogged through the operating manual, a DVD version would be in the
mailboxes of far away relatives.
It was not to be. Though I intellectually understood the
instructions and deftly carried out the tasks, the DVD recorder wouldn’t
recognize either of my two brands of discs. With more sighs, my husband
admitted that he had no success either. As I grabbed for the company’s phone
number, he suggested that I should register the product before I started yelling
at anyone. He also suggested that I check the FAQs (frequently asked questions)
on the company’s web site.
Sure enough, my predicament was prominently featured in the
FAQs. Feeling better that it was a common challenge, we followed the
troubleshooting directions with high hopes. But with no luck. The next
statement on the FAQs noted that the unit might be having “laser” difficulty and
asked me to enter my zip code to find the nearest service facility. Japan? No,
no, no, it was much closer. My rural Minnesota zip code brought up a “nearby”
service center in New Jersey.
I haven’t decided whether to return the equipment to the
discount store or send it off for service. I may still have the wrong discs, or
worse, I may just have the wrong karma.
But while I’m pondering, if you know any 10-year-old
electronic whiz kids, send them my way.
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