Computers … have I mentioned computers before? They are wonderful implements. They are the icons of the age in which we live. They often define and even control our lives. They give us instantaneous reach to the whole world and to a large part of the knowledge of mankind, more than most of the world’s libraries combined. But the computer is not your friend. You will do well to remember that. The alternative can be the mother of all frustration.

A friend will give you his undivided attention. She will not give you an error message, A friend would not say to you, for example, “I’m sorry but you do not have the authority to perform this action.” My own computer tells me that. Who does it think I am? A friend would allow you some room for error. He would say something like, “Oh, that’s O.K. I spell it that way most of the time myself.” The computer, on the other hand, will draw an ugly red line under the word … there is one now … like it expects you to immediately stop your train of thought and go back and apologize and correct the spelling.

Most computer frustrations, however, occur when you have saved your pennies and nickels and bought a new computer or a new printer or some other new piece of equipment or new software. You can’t wait to get it home and boot it up (that is computer talk for turning the machine on). As you will see, however, it becomes very appropriate as your frustration grows and you want to boot the whole thing out the window.

Let me illustrate. This week we were working on an important research project with an opportunity to capture a great deal of data. The printed matter was easy; we just took it to a copier and copied it. The pictures, literally hundreds of wonderful pictures, were something else. These had to be scanned into a digital format (that is computerese for turning them to a series of Xs and Os that a computer can read. We had taken a scanner with us. I tried it at home before we went and it worked fine. But... would it work on site? Not only no, but it was positively rude. It said, “Sorry, there is no scanner attached.”

There it was; I could see it with my own eyes. I had carefully and tenderly attached the wires and turned the whole thing on; what’s more ... the computer knew it was there. Don’t ask me how I know that; those familiar with the beast will understand. For the rest it is too much to try to explain … even if I understood it. Half a day is gone. It is an important job, so I go and buy a new scanner. Guess what? It did not like me either. When I brought the scanners home, they worked perfectly. Are you beginning to understand why the computer is not your friend?

Oh, I will continue living with them and trying to love them but I will begin each session with a word of prayer … not for the computer, but for me, the serenity prayer, God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; And wisdom to know the difference. Whether my computer likes it or not!