Men are from Mars, USB ports are from Mayberry

For me, the most challenging part about starting my own shop is doing my own IT. I know enough about it to know I don't want to do it.

At 13, my son Wyatt is becoming a reliable resource. I’m also lucky to live near a shop that not only offers reasonably priced computer service, they know Macs. I even recommend it to my friends in the Cities, should they be in the mood for a leisurely drive.

Then there’s my husband Mike, who has become a reluctant IT person. The relationship makes for interesting exchanges, considering the doubled potential for Mars/Venus issues between spouse/spouse and IT person/computer user. The latest scenario involved hooking up my cordless mouse to my Macbook Pro.

“How would I go about hooking this up?,” I asked, the metamessage being, “How would I get you to hook it up?”

“You can do this,” he encouraged. He picked up the receiver in one hand and the mouse in the other. “This is the transmitter. This is the receiver."

Thinking of the Ten Things that Drive Users Crazy, I groused, “Why don’t you just say ‘This is Mr. Receiver’?”

Mike tried another tack. Holding up the tiny piece of metal, he explained,  “The receiver is Sara and the USB port is the Mayberry Phone Company. The mouse is Sheriff Taylor and he wants to call Aunt Bee, who is in the computer.”

Okay. That I got. I even grinned.

If communication is simple but not simplistic, relatable yet respectful, and leaves both speaker and listener in good spirits, it's done the job.