Learning something new

Last Saturday Steve made what he termed "a command decision" (old Marine habits die hard) and upgraded my phone. My cellphone was almost 5 years old, worked perfectly well, and I understood it. But Steve feared that its days were numbered, and he didn't want me to be in a place or situation where I had a cellphone that was not functioning.

I am very grateful for his loving concern. However, I'm wondering how, after 28 years of marriage, he could have ever imagined that his choice of phone was the right one. I had mentioned to him before that when I got a new phone, I needed to get the simplest, most basic model available. He came home with a Blackberry. He's had one for years and loves it. But Steve is like a sleek cigarette boat - quick, agile, able to spin around in the water and race from point to point. I am like a slow-moving tugboat - no, better yet, I'm like a heavy, awkward barge that the tugboat moves. I can be pushed in a direction or I can be pulled in a direction. But forget about turning or making sudden starts or stops.

Thankfully, I have many children willing to help me learn this phone ("Mom, that's YOUR phone ringing - you need to answer it") and a Christmas break coming up that might afford me the time to familiarize myself with the manual.