The Monster on Our Desktop

The Monster on Our Desktop

My beautiful little blonde 3-year old daughter, Katie Lynn came home from her special education preschool class with a note in her backpack. The note was from her teacher, letting me know that Katie Lynn was enjoying using the computer at school and the teacher knew that she would greatly benefit from having one at home. Being a single mom of a 3-year old child with Down syndrome, I chose to work at home assembling products for a corporation in a nearby town. This job allowed me to stay at home with my daughter so that I didn't have to worry about leaving her in the care of someone else.

Katie Lynn has several health problems and I need to be near her and working at home eased my worries. However, by choosing to work at home I didn't make a lot of money, and back then computers were more costly than they are today, but wanting to give my daughter every opportunity to learn, I talked to my friend, Keith who knew quite a bit about computers and asked him to help me choose one for Katie Lynn. Keith was excited, he said, "You will love a computer, Berni, I know you will!" We looked over catalogs and Keith asked about all of my interests and knowing Katie Lynn would need one that she could play educational games on, he finally picked one out. He thought we should get the whole setup, so he ordered the computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers and even a photo printer. This was very expensive and I could not really afford it, but, I would do anything that would help Katie Lynn learn.

The day the computer arrived; I cautiously opened the boxes and set the different parts on my used computer desk that I had happily found at the thrift store, down the street called The Attic Window. After setting the computer on the desk, I had no idea what to do next and every time I came into the room I felt apprehensive just looking at that monster setting on our desktop. What am I supposed to do next? What are all of these cords and cables for? I called my friend and he came over and hooked it all up. He started the monster up and installed games on it for Katie Lynn. Shortly after doing this, he had to leave to go to work, so again I was left alone with this new monster, but now it was even more intimidating to me, it was all hooked up, plugged in and ready for me to operate. I was clueless as to what to do.

Soon, Katie Lynn arrived home from school and her face lit up when she saw the computer. Her pretty blue eyes danced with excitement. She just couldn't wait to sit down and play her games. Although she couldn't talk and tell me, I could tell she was very excited to have her own computer at home. All the while I'm thinking, "I hope you know how to maneuver around on this thing, because your mom hasn't a clue." I had no need to worry as I watched in amazement as her tiny fingers moved the mouse around and clicked here and there to figure out where the games were.
I was fascinated by this monster on our desktop and so happy when I saw the enjoyment that my little girl was having with the computer. I could immediately see the teacher's point about Katie Lynn benefiting from having a computer at home. Katie Lynn's interest was contagious. I soon found myself watching intently and learning as I saw my little girl, opening programs and playing her games. Thankfully Katie Lynn knew how to start up and shut down the computer the proper way. Keith had told me how to do this, but I wasn’t sure I would do it right.

My interest in the computer grew each day. During this time my niece, Glenda, enrolled in Computer Information Systems at the local community college in our town and she was happy to answer any questions and help me anytime I needed it. Between her, my friend Keith and Katie Lynn, I had no reason to be scared of this monster anymore! Keith talked me into getting dial-up Internet service and I was glad he did because I became totally amazed with the Internet. I had a world of information at my fingertips. This was the most fascinating thing I had ever dreamed of. I also learned to do photos and print them on my new printer. I even got good enough with the photo programs that I was asked by friends to restore and edit photos for them for pay, which helped to offset the cost of the computer.

Katie Lynn and I were enjoying our computer so much, the thought never crossed my mind that something could happen to it, but one day, after a bad storm, I went out to turn it on and nothing happened. I tried everything I could think of, calling Glenda to see if she had any ideas. She told me to check all of the cords to make sure they were connected to the computer in the back and to check to make sure it was plugged securely into the wall socket. I did then tried again, nothing happened, the computer just sat there, all dark, no lights nothing, our computer was dead!

Katie Lynn came home that day and hurried out to play her computer games, but I told her our computer was broken. She didn't understand and tried to turn it on, finally very disappointed she gave up. I was very upset because the one-year warranty had just expired a few days before the computer quit working. I called Glenda, because by this time, her class was working on the inside of computers. She came over and took the screws out that held the side panel on the computer. She carefully removed a screw from the inside that held what she called a modem in place. She then turned the computer on and to my amazement the lights lit up and the computer started humming as it came back to life.
Glenda told me that during the storm, lightening had come in on the phone line and damaged the modem. She told me that I could go to our local department store to purchase a new modem and she would install it for us. Our computer was going to be up and running in no time. Katie Lynn and I were very happy to learn this. Right now we could use the computer to play her games and work on photos, but not to surf the Internet. The next day I purchased our new modem and called Glenda to have her install it.

When watching Glenda install the modem I was very impressed with her knowledge of working on computers and I hoped that one day, I could go to school and learn this skill. When I found that I could take classes online, I was very excited, I could still stay home and be there for Katie Lynn and learn all about computers. It couldn't get much better than this! Registering at the same local community college that Glenda had just graduated from, I took the courses needed to earn an Associate's degree in Computer Information Systems and earned several certifications in computers and networking. Katie Lynn and I are now busy repairing and troubleshooting computers.

Looking back, to the day Katie Lynn brought that note home from school in her backpack. I am proud to say I am no longer afraid of that monster that sat on our desktop. Katie Lynn and I have built ten new computers and repaired many more. Katie Lynn is still interested in playing games on the computer. Computer programs have helped her with her communication skills. She is now able to talk. Her teacher was right, she has benefited from having access to an on-demand, patient tutor, called the computer that has allowed her to work and learn at her very own pace. Katie Lynn was happy to receive a pink laptop for her sixteenth birthday.