The Best Kept Secret Blog - Elder eCare

"Why do they keep sending me information on penis enlargement?" she demanded.

I briefly toyed with the idea of trying to explain to my 78 year-old aunt the ins and outs of Internet spam but figured I'd spent enough time on this impromptu computer tutorial already and one more minute would cause the tick that had developed in my right eye to become a permanent condition.

I love older people. I think they're really smart. Some of them are technological wizzes. And then there are the others.

You know who I'm talking about.

The kindly, yet befuddled neighbour who calls you in to take a quick look at his computer. "It'll only take a couple of minutes" he assures. Three hours and a long conversation with Garup from the help centre in India later you leave with a paper bag full of tomatoes from the garden for your troubles.

The father who insists that his password changed all by itself.

Or my friend L.'s mother who e-mails her three or four times a day but follows up each message with an immediate phone call. "Honey, I just sent you a pickle recipe. Did you get it?"

I try to be patient when an elder in my life needs help with a computer question but sometimes it's really, really hard. Let's face it, some things are just over their heads and it's a real burden when they rely on the younger generation to show them how it's done.

But enough of this. I have to find my daughter. I need to download something from iTunes plus I want her to tape a show. She's just so much better at that kind of stuff.