I'm a relatively smart baby boomer and I'm computer literate.  I can set up a computer system.  I know how research a topic online, squeezing out every bit of information until there's nothing left but an empty shell.  I know what a search engine is.  I can use links to find stuff.  Amazon .com and other websites are a breeze for me to use.  I even know what an IPO address is. 

All that knowledge is great but it doesn't help me.  I still can't figure out how to change a Myspace page to include marketing information for my book.  I've been trying to change that stupid page for several months and I can't do it if my life depended on it.  My son created the page in two minutes and then spent the next five hours trying to teach me how to use it.  I watched him click on this and slide the mouse over to that.  I'll be damned if I can do what he did.  Now, he's moved to New Mexico and I know I'm up s-creek without a paddle.   

You should know cell phones confound me too.  I have yet to figure out how to input my phone list into the thing.  Forget redial and text messaging, I can't even access my voicemail.  I lie, telling my friends how I lost my phone just so they won't keep calling me and leaving voicemail.  Christ, how I hate that little white ion that says you have voicemail.

Anyway, back to this woman I met at the book fair.  She looked to be a baby boomer close to my own age.  When I told her how social network challenged I was, she said if I sent her my web address at Myspace she'd take a look and offer some suggestions.  She also offered to read my stuff on this site and my blog.  I was so excited.  I figured if she could navigate Myspace, there was hope for my old ass too.  I thought that until I went home to discover I couldn't find the address for my blogs.  Then I wasn't sure the Myspace page was still active. 

Apparently, I'd deleted or cancelled one of my blogs.  I don't know.  Maybe it cancels itself when you don't use it.  I just know I created two blogs in 2006--long before Mr. Jefferson's Piano was published.  Both blogs sat in the sludge waters of I don't know how to use this crap for two years before I threw them a lifeline.

Okay, now I'm sunk.  I can't find those pesky blogs or at least I can't find the one I liked.  And I don't remember the address for the Myspace page.  What do I tell the woman when she emails me for the addresses.  Then I remembered I was to email her with the information.  I figured that would give me time to create new blogs.  Yeah right, my old social network challenged ass and new blogs don’t mix.  Notice how I left out any mention of creating a new Myspace page.  While I’m Myspace page illiterate, I’m not crazy.  I know my limitations.  Me creating another Myspace is crazy—mad stupid as the kids say nowadays. 

I did create a blog http://centralharlemstories.blogspot.com .  It took me from most of the day to do it but I did it.  I know my blog needs fine tuning, maybe some book signing pictures, definitely more articles about my marketing experiences and the creative memoir writing workshop I designed as a companion piece for the book.  I love that the darned thing is there in cyber space for the world to see.  And I'm feeling younger every minute.  I can’t wait to send it to the woman at the fair for her opinion.   As for Myspace, I’ll have to do more research on that one.