Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Instructions

It's a stereotype that men don't read instructions. And, sure, there's truth behind it, like most stereotypes. But it's not a universal truth.

I read instructions. Or try to, anyway.

Not that I'm not a typical guy. I think I'm pretty typical.

But, experience teaches me to read the instructions.

Good decisions come from experience. Experience comes from bad decisions.

And I've made my share of bad decisions. So, my experience teaches me to read the directions.

But not everyone is that way. And mostly, it's guys.

But not always.

The Little Princess got an iPod Nano for Christmas. A red one (Go Dawgs!).

She didn't have one. And wanted one. And had asked her mother for one. But, she eventually marked it off the list, because of the other stuff her mother got her.

So, when she got the iPod from me and the Wife, she was surprised.

And pleased.

She squealed like a little girl.

Which she is. Well, she may be 24, but she's my little girl. Always will be.

Anyhow, she was all excited about it. We ended up going to the food court at the mall in Brunswick (my son's new apartment -- where we met and exchanged gifts -- doesn't yet have Internet access), to set it up.

But before we did that, we had to undo some stuff.

You see, while I have learned to read the instructions, I wasn't born that way. I had to learn it over time.

And the Little Princess still has a ways to go.

I discovered that when she said, "Um. How do you get it out of Chinese mode?"

Yes, she had played with the scroll wheel and the menu and all, and accidentally put it in Chinese mode.

After minutes of fruitlessly searching for a way to set it back, I picked up the instructions, found the reset method, and set the iPod back.

She's one step closer to reading the instructions. I still don't think she's there yet.

But soon enough, she'll have enough experience to make good decisions.

I just hope it's a more pleasant journey for her than it was for me.

7 comments:

  1. I got one too, but didn't put it in another language - although getting use to how the menu works is a new venture. I hate that you can't load to 2 computers on iTunes though. Oh, BTW, I can't comment from my BB ... when I hit a letter to put in my name, it jumps to the bottom of the page. TY

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  2. When I get something with directions, I usually hand it to my son while telling him to figure this out and tell me how it works or set it up! heh He's much better at it than I am!

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  3. I hope your Christmas was good. Thank you for letting Luke do his annual Christmas Day post.

    I got an iPod Nano from your nephew, The Thespian! The Constable gave me a Dell computer with lots of memory so The Thespian could load iTunes and get his present to work. I have had a good day loading music onto iTunes.

    I also had to get a tag and a new license today. sigh...

    Thanks for Sgt. Pepper!!! I will go revisit your post from two years ago. It's still a favorite of mine.

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  4. Hmm. My wife, for all that she's super-organized, is the one who lacks patience for instructions in assembling items. now, in terms of operating electronics ...

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  5. I'm hugely distressed by the recent trend, mostly with software but with many devices as well, to include only the most simple, bare bones instructions, if any at all, with the product. The advanced instructions are sold separately.

    Simply criminal.

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  6. [...] Basil investigates instructions. I’m still not quite sure what they are, but, it was fun trying to find out! [...]

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