Things I’m Afraid Of…

I have a couple of different web sites. I have three or four blogs. I have a profile on MySpace, facebook and linkedin, as well as some other networking sites. With these elements, you’d probably think I was pretty tech savvy. Negative.

Technology scares me. Maybe not scares, but definitely intimidates. See, technology itself is kinda intimidating. Just learning to do something new takes some courage, but to learn to do something new AND learning it with commands for my adaptive screen reading software makes it a whole different ball of wax.

I’ve hesitated for a long, long time on getting a new cell phone. Yet, when I finally got my new cell about a month ago, I wondered how I’ve lived so long without these new features. This phone has totally improved my relationship with my stepkids, believe it or not. Teenagers seem as though their main form of communication is text messaging. With my new phone, I can finally do that! Just dropping little notes to my stepdaughter telling her to have a good night at work, or an inside joke between my stepson and I, these have made our overall relationship all the more fun!

Another thing I’ve resisted is the whole Ipod movement. There have been accessible mp3 players and IPOD-ish devices for a while now, but there’s double the learning curve when you’re using adaptive technology.

Well, I finally bit the bullet. Yesterday, I ordered the new Victor Stream. The Victor Stream is an accessible player which has accessible software for blind users, but can play all digital music, books, podcasts, etc. It hasn’t even arrived, but in prep for the minute it hits my hands, I’ve been working on downloading different things.

One thing I really, really miss about STL is talk radio. Orlando is just lacking in this department. And specifically I miss 97.1 FM Talk from STL. And even more specifically, I miss the Dave Glover Show. I can still stream it in sometimes, but it’s kinda a pain in the rump. So, in a given month, I doubt I’ve caught the DGS more than two or three times…but not any more!

As of yesterday, I’ve started downloading all the episodes and placing them on my laptop. I can play them right here on the computer, or wait until the Victor Stream arrives and transfer there. Either way, this world of the DGS has once again opened up to me!

And why was I intimidated? Fear of failure, pure and simple. But I know I’m not an idiot, so with a little practice I can figure it out. And I have. And now I’m enjoying my favorite show again.

Fear is crap. I hate fear. And yet, like everyone, I succumb to it from time to time. I’m glad this isn’t going to be one of those times. There is so much upside potential once that fear is conquered that it makes me question my fear about other technological things. What’s my next tech fear to overcome? Dunno…but when I see it, I won’t turn away!