Technical support

Not the least skilled in the fields of mechanics and technology, I cringed this morning when the Generac began to roar. This meant a power outage would most likely follow, which meant an interruption in my internet service–a serious challenge for a writer dependent upon the internet.

Allow me to explain my panic. For I have a feeling I’m not alone in my suffering with mild dyslexia. In my case, my right and left hand hesitate because my brain confuses which key to strike on the keyboard. No matter how much I type, I reverse letters constantly. I thank God for the minds who created the word processor, otherwise, I would’ve abandoned my writing life before it began.

Truly, I can handwrite faster than type, because my right hand is in total control. My brain relaxes and creates words, for it doesn’t have to send a letter to my left hand.

In 1965, when I was a sophomore in high school, my parents, teacher, and I had never heard of dyslexia. My typing grade plummeted to a “D”, which disqualified me from my cheerleading squad for football games. Without a typewriter at home to practice, I spent after-school hours in the typing classroom memorizing the keyboard, pecking away until I at last achieved a “C”. Meanwhile, my typing teacher offered me no encouragement to improve.

In January 1968, when my father drove me to Central Michigan University, we had no clue dyslexia is a learning disorder that affects the reading and language processes. I said good-bye to Dad, my sister Libby, and Cocker-Spaniel, Sweetie, with intentions to earn a degree in Physical Education within four years.

At last, the winter of 1994, my husband and I purchased our first word processor for the students in our household, including me. In the fall of 1994, the “Oxford Leader” published my first weekly column. On December 19, 1998, I at last graduated from Oakland University with the degree of Bachelor of Arts.

Still, the embarrassing disability went undiagnosed until I discovered several scholarly periodicals discussing the symptoms and causes of dyslexia, that it may be genetic. My mother and a maternal uncle were severely dyslexic, yet creative and highly functional people. Dyslexia may also develop from traumatic brain injuries and chronic migraine headaches.

This in mind, I went down on my hands and knees before my computer’s modem and electrical outlet.

After several failed attempts to revive the modem’s blinking lights, I called the service number for my internet provider. A kind, patient, young man named Nate answered. He guided me through the process of unplugging and re-plugging the modem. When that failed, he asked, “Do you have another outlet nearby to plug in your modem?”

“Yes!”

“Try it, please.”

“Yes! The lights are blinking! Thank you!”

“You’re welcome. I’ve sent you an email so you can print these directions for whenever you need them,” Nate said.

Dear Reader, next time the Generac begins to roar, I’ll be prepared with Nate’s printed technical support. Thankfully, there’s no left and right plugs in an outlet.

Contact Iris at irisfarmletters@gmail.com