too old to learn new tricks

Too old to learn new tricks

By David Verveer

Even though, technical trained, I fail to understand the technical instructions and manuals, received when buying new appliances, and when it comes to having to assemble something, it gets even worth. The logic used together with the way of explaining it, generally reduces me to a helpless child, for example, how to utilize fully my mobile telephone, installing a phone-book, or send an SMS and using the numerous functions available are totally wasted on me.

In fact, my grandson 14 years old is responsible for planning our mobile phones and tells me that I don't use the possibilities of my phone.

This reminds me that when I went to buy a cordless phone, they asked me at the shop what functions I require, and when I replied, that I want to use it simply as a phone, they declared me a historical fossil, and explained me possible additional functions such as different tunes for every caller, recording the calls, an answering machine, a screen to read the phone number of the caller, a fax machine and many more functions which I don't need.

But it gets worse, every time they come out with new gadgets to be used with the computer, equipment such as a mobile external hard disk, which can be used both with your desktop computer and your mobile laptop or your VOIP phone, allowing you to phone through your laptop, from anyplace you are. All this essential equipment, are simple to use, but I need somebody else in order to install them, as I don't understand and don't have the patience to follow the instructions, step by step.

Take for example, the new gas oven we bought, because the old one fell apart, the technician came to install it, when I wasn't home, showed my wife that everything operates, and left us with an instruction manual, in case something goes wrong. Only one third of the gas burners work, and even with the manual, I can not get it operational. Getting the technician to come back is nearly impossible, even though we still have full guaranties.

We have daily problems getting our TV to work, the remote control is very complicated, and the operation booklet we received (in Hebrew, English, and Russian) is totally incomprehensible. After pushing numerous buttons, it suddenly starts to work; of course, we don't remember which combination did the job.

Funny enough, this comprehension limit occurs not with everything we do. We use complicated computer programs, as they grew on us gradually, with every time a small change and / or improvement, and this makes me wonder, if our above failures in comprehension are due to mental laziness, for being too old to learn new tricks?

Or our comprehension capability works on the principle, "first in – last out", which causes blockage when we try to add more and more, from the wrong side. Of course this has nothing to do with mental restrictions and infirmities, simply with the fact that for the time being, we are full to the brim.