Skyping With Senior Citizens

I have to tell you that technology is such a blessing for my wife and I!  It's not easy being so far away from our families.  More than a thousand miles in fact, and tucked into the hillsides of frosty snow covered lands makes it hard to travel too often. 

Skype has been our lifeline to Rory's grandparents.  It helps that it's so gall-darn easy to use.  You just sign in and push call.  It's so simple in fact that at 10 months old, Rory now knows how to call Grammy all by himself.  Interestingly enough, it's too complicated for some of our seasoned relatives. 

Case Study 1- Grammy Kay: 

"Can you see me?" Grammy Kay asks.
"Uh, no," I say.  "I only see your living room."
"OH!" Grammy Kay shrieks, "It's my tablet.  It always does this strange thing.  Hang on!"
"Oka...." I begin.
"YEP!" Grammy Kay shouts.  "I got it!"
"No, you're upside down," I say.  "Good try."
"Hmmm," Grammy Kay ponders.  "Oh I know!"
"There you go!" I say.
 "Well good Lawd!" Grammy Kay says, "I wish you weren't so blurry."
"Interesting.." I begin to say.
"RORY!  THERE'S MY MART BOY!  I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!  I MISS YOU!  I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU!  I ALREADY MADE YOU A HAT FOR JULY AND AUGUST!  YOU ARE GOING TO THINK ITS CHRISTMAS THE NEXT TIME I SEE YOU."
"What about me?" I ask.  "Do I get stuff too?" 
 "Umm, you already got stuff when you were little.  Now it's Rory's turn.  But I miss all three of you so much!"


Case Study 2- Wisconsin Grandpa and Grandma

"Hmm." Grandpa says into his cell phone.  "Can you see us?"
"No." I say.
"Well, we see you."
"That's strange. Did you push the video button?"
"What's that now?" Grandpa says.
"Push the video button." 
"I don't see a button." Grandpa says.  "Do you see one Joanne?"
"No."
"Well... (imagine a really long conversation about which buttons to push.)"
"Yeah, I don't know.  Let me call my computer guy.  He will patch us through."
"It's really not this hard.  I don't understand why its so complicated for you guys to push a button." I say.
"I'll just call my computer guy. I should have known things were going to go downhill since Y2K."


Case Study 3 - Grammy D

  "Ummm all we get is a blank screen," Grammy D says over the cellphone.  "Bob can't figure it out either."
  "I don't understand why none of our parents can figure this out," Kim says,  "Ask Lindsey.  She is a young college graduate.  I'm sure she can figure it out."
"We asked her already.  She has no clue."

Months later.


"Finally!  I didn't realize all I had to do was push the camera button."
"Heaven help us!" Kim says.


Case Study 4- Grandpop-o and Hailmony

"HEY!  GRANDPOP-O IS HERE!"
"HI ROORY!" Hailmony says with excitement.
We listen as singing, laughing, and Rory oogling occurs.
"Yay!  You guys can actually use Skype.  How refreshing," I say.
"OF COURSE WE CAN!" Grandpop-o shouts.  "EVEN A TRAINED MONKEY COULD USE SKYPE IT'S SO EASY!"
"Amen," Kim and I say together.


Well Meatloaf said it best, "1 out of 4 ain't bad."  (Disclaimer: Due to any hardcore meatloaf fans, this is an abbreviated and slightly changed version of the famous lyric.)

Comic by Bitstrips