Learning To Use A Computer Gave Me A New Beginning

It was the turn of the century the millennium year. It brought new and happy tidings to our home. The screech of the tires and blowing of the horn made my children sprint faster than the Cheetah. They rushed to the car, their faces ebullient.

Soon my significant other alighted, carrying the huge box with a warning on top ‘Handle with care’ followed by the kids in tow. They just sidelined me as they carried the box inside the living room.

RAM, ROM, Mouse & Chips – What were they talking about?

Soon I heard all three of them talking animatedly. What were they discussing? I entered the room and heard words like Chip, Microchip, RAM, ROM, Mouse, Monitor, Mic, etc. It sounded like gibberish to me. I only knew about potato chips, as my knowledge was limited to my pantry. Ram, as I recalled from my school days was a male sheep. I wondered if Rom was a short form of Romcom shows.

Everyone enjoyed the new computer, and I felt left out

Yes, my better half and kids who were then ten and eight years old, laughed at my ignorance. I was forbidden to tinker with it. It was kept covered like a new bride when not in use. It only functioned well in the AC room. One wrong move could make it disabled. The brain which was smaller than the human fist, but faster than the human brain could stop functioning.

Yes, I am talking of the computer which made its entry into our house way back in the year  2000. The spouse and the kids had gone bonkers playing games, listening to music, and surfing the Internet with it. Usage of the Internet was limited, as the usage plans were quite expensive compared to the present day.

The kids who could never be still spent all their waking hours minus the school hours in the company of the computer. My significant other too could be seen playing a quiet game of solitaire on the computer. No one wanted to chat or tell me about their day. I felt sad and left out.

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I stepped out to learn, and my better half stepped up at home

The kids were adept at maneuvering the computer. My ten-year-old child could draft emails whilst my eight-year-old would do her school assignments with the help of the computer like a pro. I was over the moon watching them do this. But somewhere deep within me was the longing to learn and work on the computer as others did.

I was the only odd one out in the family who couldn’t operate the computer. My better half suddenly started noticing that I too yearned to operate the computer. One day without my knowledge he enrolled me in a basic computer course at the nearby NIT branch. I was euphoric the minute he shared the news.

But soon I became crestfallen thinking about housework and kids. I wondered how I could manage everything, as I had no backup or in-house staff to help me out. I had to attend classes thrice a week in the evenings. Again, my better half came to my rescue – he would come back early from work to manage things at home.

Now there was nothing to impede my learning. Feeling like a young ecstatic schoolgirl, I learned the nuances of technology at the age of forty. There were teenagers and people in their youth taking classes along with me. I didn’t feel ill at ease – instead, I felt young and ebullient with newfound energy to learn.

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”— George Eliot

I had a new beginning, thanks to technology

Computer learning changed the course of my life. I was just a homemaker whose life just revolved around the kitchen and family. Technology revved up my otherwise snail-paced life. I learned how to surf the net and get answers from Google baba on various subjects.

Since motherhood had made me take a back seat in my career, technology helped me change gears. Earlier I would mope about being relegated to being a nobody from somebody. Being a netizen widened my horizon and soon I procured a job where I could work from home as a freelance proofreader with a publishing house.

This job gave me a high. I could maintain my work-life balance. Soon my latent talent for creative writing came to the fore. I published my first story in print for the Indian Chicken Soup Series. The feeling was ephemeral.

Being a restless soul my fingers itched for more. I started reading about content writing. I educated myself on it and soon found freelance content-writing jobs on the Internet.

That set the ball rolling for more writing and networking

Woah, I was writing blogs for startups in various niches. I just couldn’t believe it! I was on cloud nine when I shot emails to my employers. The kids and my better half looked at me in awe.

Life started looking up, and from a soppy mom, I metamorphosed into a smart and talented mom. Soon, I got busy working as a freelance educational advisor for two start-ups. It was a wonderful experience networking virtually with different people.

Woot woot – another feather in my cap! My stories were published in two anthologies. I was also nominated as the Author of the week, for my write-up.

I just couldn’t believe it when I won two writing competitions held virtually.

Published!

Soon, a friend tagged me and asked me to try my hand at writing poetry. I had always written prose, so attempting to write poetry was a herculean task. But I never shy away from challenges and give it my best shot. Wonders of all wonders –  the itty bitty poem was published.

Soon I started turning towards penning a few poetic lines. I managed to get them published in esteemed magazines.

It was at this juncture that several websites wanted to publish my return journey. They felt it could empower other women to come out of their comfort zones. I was also interviewed by several websites, as they also wanted me to share my experience with others. I also bagged an opportunity to moderate chat shows and interview budding authors.

Internet was the stepping stone for all these accomplishments

The internet has created a revolution and given me a chance to evolve from a mom to a working lady. The internet has filled my dull life with rainbows, and now I proudly say

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Image credit: screengrab from the movie, Mitr My Friend

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