83-Year Old Buys a New MacBook

 80+3 Buys a New MacBook (on a day  when our most exciting activity is buying a computer): Some time ago Don and I took my computer to a tech because it was not working well. A fortyish, kind-a heavyset young man took care of us.  Looked at my old Mac, asked why we were there, and a few more questions.  Then he says, “how old is this?”  I replied quickly, “Oh, I don’t know.  It’s old.  Five years, perhaps.”  He went to the settings and typed some.  Looking up at me with a kind smile says, “how ‘bout 8 years old!” a statement that sounded akin to “oh, you were there when Noah built his ark?”  So, I don’t know if this embarrassed Don, but for my birthday gift this year he decided I should get a new computer. 

As we walked into the Apple store, Dominique, a young man of about 30, came smilingly to us. He asked, “What can I help you with today?”  Don nudges me as in “tell him.”  Dominique motions us to the Ipads.  I said, “No, I want a computer.”  He takes us to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro displayed.  There were 15-inch and 13-inch ones.  My brain goes into overdrive.  How can I talk to this young man to show I have a little knowledge of computers but not lie or embellish (I’ve seen too much of VP Democrat candidate Tim Walz and his prevarications.)

 

I start by saying, “Oh, this MacBook Air is much like mine. Mine is old, 8-years old!”  This elicited a warm laugh from Dominique.

 

“Well,” he says, “we have these MacBook Air and also, MacBook Pro. The MacBook Air comes in 15” and 13”. He continued his sales talk, patiently and kindly explaining the differences between a Mac Air and a Mac Pro, using terms like megabytes and tigabytes (possibly tetrabytes).  He explained the Cloud. I told him I never used it because I didn’t know how to use it.  VP Kamala Harris’ explanation just couldn’t help me. I asked him if all these information will be on paper for me, because I won’t remember everything he was telling me.  I am 83-years old and have a bit of a problem with memory.  Dominique looked at me, his eyes got big and said, “No way!”  (I was starting to like this guy!). I shot back, “Okay, okay, I’m really just 39!” He says, “That’s better!”  We both laugh.

 

After all the back and forth with my possibly inane questions and Dominique’s patient answers, we agreed to buy the 13-inch MacBook Air.  He also scheduled a tutorial for me, so we could “migrate” the stuff on my old computer to this new one and I could be taught some basic things like where my files go when I save them.  I took out my pink scheduling book and flipped to the September page.  He was watching me intently, then says, “You know you are on September 2025?”  I laughed, “I guess 83 has kicked in!”  Then he says “OK, how about September 4, Wednesday.  That’ll be tomorrow!”  “Nope, I quickly corrected him, “Today is Monday. Tomorrow is Tuesday.  Wednesday the 4^th is day after tomorrow.”  He stares at me, and we both laugh again.  “Now, we’re even,” he concludes, and gave a look that said, “I can see, 83 years has not stolen all your marbles!”

 

And that is how an octogenarian buys a new MacBook!