Madder than Hell

“You refuse to learn anything!”
So said an old friend I graduated college with.
The guy had become very computer-savvy, as have I somewhat.
I was happy to ask him computer questions.
You don’t imply a retired bus-driver is inferior.
Not after I developed so many time-saving computer-tricks at the Canandaigua Daily-Messenger newspaper.
And I did so on “seven cylinders,” I always say, what remained of my brain after my stroke.
My self-confidence was nil in college, but bus-driving did wonders.
I got so I could parry blowhards, people questioning my intelligence.
“I’m drivin’ the bus; you’re just a passenger. I can get you where you’re going if you quit bothering me.”
I couldna done that in college.
That was 50 long years ago.
I even got so I could challenge my father, a hyper-religious authority-figure who convinced me I was “disgusting.”
He started screaming at me one day, so “What brought that on?” an old bus-driving move.
He was stunned speechless. Never before had I challenged him.
So I think what made my friend angry was my no-longer kow-towing to his self-asserted superiority.
Well, so be it. I thereby lost one of my best friends.
Plus a favored computer guru.
But I’m no longer the wuss I was in college, and have many other ‘pyooter gurus.
Many of my computer fixes involve developing workarounds. You hafta somewhat know how to drive your rig when logjams appear.
Just the other day I slam-dunked a fix to my Photoshop-Elements “Clone” tool.
The old waazoo; “Try this and see what happens.”
I doubt “refusing to learn anything” coulda done that.
My next computer challenge will be templates for my ‘pyooter word-processor, Apple’s “Pages.”
No way do I touch Bill Gates’ and Microsoft’s Word©. It punishes stroke-survivors. “Forget computing, dude. Go watch Oprah.”
PASS!
I’m age-73, and supposedly “refuse to learn anything.”
“Siddown and shaddup! As long as I’m drivin’ the bus, I’m the captain of the ship.”

• Over 11 years ago I retired from the “Canandaigua Daily-Messenger newspaper.” Best job I ever had — I worked there almost 10 years (over 11 if you count my time as a post-stroke unpaid intern.) (“Canandaigua” [“cannan-DAY-gwuh”] is a small city nearby where I live in Western NY. The city is also within a rural town called “Canandaigua.” The name is Indian, and means “Chosen Spot.” —It’s about 14 miles away.)
• I had a stroke October 26th, 1993, from which I pretty much recovered. Just tiny detriments; I can pass for never having had a stroke.