Seattle Again

This winter, I made the trek to the Seattle area to visit my family again.  Arrived in the evening of December 6th, and will return late in the afternoon on January 3rd.  This trip, we haven't done as much touring as usual for a number of reasons, but it doesn't bother me a bit.  It's enough just for me to be here.

Flying always comes with little stories, some funny and some not. My flight to Seattle on that Thursday was not without those. I have to do the handicapped thing through airports. That makes those "glitches" more interesting, sometimes.

At Indy, I was pushed to Security by my wheelchair "pusher". She told me that, since I am younger than the cut-off age for not having to take off my shoes to go through the x-ray machine (75), I would have to put my shoes in the tray on the conveyor belt...but first, I had to take off my jacket, empty my pockets, unpack my laptop computer for inspection, etc., so I got out of the wheelchair and dutifully got busy. But the TSA guy at the metal detector told me to come on through the machine before I took off my shoes. He then told me I was good to go on the other side. Here is how that conversation went:

ME: What do I do now?
TSA guy: You're good to go.
ME: But I didn't even take off my shoes yet.
TSA: You're over the age of having to do that.

ME: No, I'm not.
TSA: Yeah, but you look it.

Now, I ask you: What is a lady supposed to do with that?? I did the only thing I could do. I patted him on the shoulder and just laughed. I'd like to think he didn't mean what he said--that he was just letting me know that I looked trustworthy so he was bending the rules for me. Yeah, that's probably it...right?

When my family flies, we all use our cell phones to alert the family on the destination end of the trip as to airport progress. "Through security." "At gate." "Boarded." "Touchdown." That sort of thing...
Somewhere between security and the departure gate at Indy International, my phone did a "pocket" function. When I took it out of my pocket to text my daughter that I had arrived at the departure gate to await the flight, I was appalled to see that the screen had enlarged itself so that I could only see a few BIG letters on the menu screen. I couldn't navigate my own phone. I had no clue what had happened or how to fix it. (I'm not exactly a whiz-bang cell phone user.) I resisted the urge to panic, knowing I would be unable to communicate with my daughter and family when I hit the ground in Seattle.

Smartest thing I did all day: I looked around at the other passengers in the waiting area. Most were older folks like me; EXCEPT, there was a young couple there... The man was standing with their baby strapped on his chest. He had earplugs in his ears and his cell phone in hand. The woman was sitting near him. THOSE were the ones I asked, "Are either of you more proficient in how to use cell phones than I am?" They both eagerly asked me what was wrong. I showed them my phone.

The man declared, "The magnifier has been activated." Magnifier? What the dickens is a magnifier? I didn't activate it, and I had no clue how to disable it! In short order, he used his phone to Google how to deactivate the magnifier on an iPhone...and voila! Back to normal screen!

Now, here's the kicker:
Know how to deactivate the magnifier on an iPhone? You must tap on the screen three times with three fingers together. Seriously. Everybody knows that, right?
All my English-teacher-brain could think of was Tom Sawyer's superstitious recipe for getting rid of warts, which made about as much sense:  Tap on the screen three times with three fingers, then swing a dead cat over your head three times...

The flight to Seattle was long and boring; however, it is the ONLY non-stop flight between Indianapolis and Seattle daily, so I am grateful.  I thought we landed a little harder than usual, but who's counting?  Apparently, there was an arrival gate change, so the three wheelchairs that were supposed to be waiting for the three passengers (me included) who needed them had to wait while the chairs made the transfer from the expected gate to the new one.  I had already texted my daughter that we were on the ground but that there would be a delay in getting to the baggage claim area where she (and family) were awaiting my arrival.  As it happened, my luggage got there before I did!  The family grabbed both bags and were ready to roll by the time my pusher could get me there.  Then homeward via their new vehicle.  The resident cat was waiting for us at home.  She doesn't even flinch anymore when she sees me for the first time each visit.  "Oh...that's the crazy old lady who smells funny but gives me treats..."

Speaking of cats, I wasn't at my daughter's house more than one day before other technical problems occurred.  I refer to them as the C v. C (Cat versus Computer) incidents.

1. My laptop is in my room at the front of my daughter's house. I am the first one up. The family cat, desirous of human attention, walks across the keyboard while I am sitting in front of it and manages to turn the screen display upside-down, including the mouse function. I send for my son-in-law to figure it out. He Googles what to do. Fixes it. (In case it happens to you, solution is Cntrl + Alt+ up arrow.)

2. I go to the kitchen to start prep for fixing brunch. When I return to the computer, the screen looks like it is in sleep mode. Screen is dark, but there is a shadow of function dimly in the background. Try to brighten the screen. No go. Cat again?? Send for son-in-law again. (In case it happens to you, solution is to reboot.)

3. I'm in the kitchen doing the supper dishes. My daughter asks me if I had been "drunk- Facebooking". Huh?? She shows me a huge response of gibberish I posted in reply to something one of my friends wrote on one of my previous posts. I return to my computer to find that the cat is on my bed, enjoying the warmth from the artificial fireplace, which puts her in the vicinity at the time of the crime. Send for poor Denis for the third time. (In case it happens to you, solution is to LOCK THE KEYBOARD: Windows button + L.)

All of this happened in one day in rapid succession.  Needless to say, I was about ready to supply a dead cat for the wart cure!

As always, it takes a couple of days for my body to adjust to the three hour time differential between Indiana and Washington.  Due to arrival time, it is usually 3:00 AM (Eastern Time) before I can actually get to bed.  I think that's the secret.  If I stay tired, I can sleep.  And if I sleep, I can keep normal family hours here.  Small victories!

Helping the Poor

Once upon a time, I was close friends with the Director of Emergency Disaster Services for the Salvation Army in the Chicago area.  (It's a long story, related to amateur radio.)  He lived in Elk Grove Village in the NW suburbs of Chicago, and considered himself my mentor in radio--and particularly the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network.  (SATERN.)

As it happened, when I was visiting he and his wife one summer, he was given a directive.  There was a trailer park in Robbins, IL, (far south suburb) that was shutting down.  All of the tenants had been notified to evacuate at least 30 days ahead of time but weren't doing it.  (They claimed they had nowhere to go.  I believed them.)  In desperation, the power to the park was shut off.  That would do it, right?  Wrong!  The people remained in the dark.  Since the residents of the park were mostly African Americans, the Rev. Jesse Jackson appealed to The Salvation Army to feed the residents at least twice a day.  Which they did.

Thus, I rode with Major Pat on the SA canteen to the trailer park site on one day.  I was instructed to hand out meals off the back of the canteen to anyone who showed up.  And here is what happened:

1.  Most people were grateful for the free food.
2.  Some people were grumbling that the canteen was late.
3.  Some people said that they needed more than one meal because there were people "back at the trailer" who also needed food.
4.  Some people complained about what was offered.  (As I recall, it was hot dogs, baked beans, a bag of chips, a drink and dessert.)

I learned a lot about helping the poor that day.  I didn't know ANY of those people.  I had to ask if it was okay to give some people more than one meal.  Was instructed not to question it.  How much more significant is it if we actually KNOW the folks we are trying to help?

Since then, I have had many more opportunities to help those who can't help themselves.  If one actually follows their stories, it becomes obvious how lives of crime are created.  Helplessness, hopelessness, depression, an attitude of greed based on need develops, and those who "have" ignore those who "have not".  A beggar on the street is probably only going to buy booze and drugs, right?  Offer them food and they just turn it down because they just want cash.  Crooks, for sure! 

So what is an honest person to do?  My last two excursions into helping former students in need had mostly to do with food.  Jesus said, (paraphrased), "If you love me, feed my sheep."  I am fat and sassy, although not rich at all...but that causes me to understand that others need more sustenance than I do.  I have no desire to enable poor people to stay poor, but I DO understand that there are times when they need help.  I have endeavored to do that.  Sometimes, I regret it because it becomes like a seemingly bottomless pit.  Whatever I am able to do, financially, seems like not enough.  I can't do more.  Or can I??

What is real and what is manipulated?  I don't know, but I'm going to find out.  My latest "charge" is a youngish man, a former student, who is disabled but not in possession of any help from anywhere.  I will do what I can to help him.  As Jesus said, "There will be poor with us always"...but...what if I can SOMETHING that will make a difference?  I can't promise him the world, but I can promise him that I will try to make things better for him. 

If you are a praying person, please ask the Almighty to find a way for me to help without sending my finances into the gutter.  Please give this young man a reason to believe that the world is okay for even folks like him.  Please dedicate your life to helping people cannot help themselves. 

"God don't make no junk!"