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Fadzayi Maposah Correspondent

Despite my age, I am quite technologically savvy.

 Think of it, I could actually be better than some of the “Ama 2000.”

 I maybe be slower than some of them when it comes to technology as a ‘BBT’, born before technology, but there is one thing that I am certain of; I will not get lost on the computer or the Internet.

I am basically a self-taught computer user! I have had many minor and major mishaps in the technology field.

I have deleted some things that should have been saved. I have copied and pasted on the wrong documents and then forgot to actually rectify the documents properly! 

On email, I have sent some documents to the wrong people! It has been a bumpy ride on the world-wide-web!

Now my hands are familiar with the set-up of the computer and at times I actually help other “BBTs”. 

Amazing is it not. All the time that I was apprehensive as far as computer use is concerned, my brother Cephas would reassure me that it would be well and that the computer would literally refuse to do anything that it did not want.

Strange how tables can turn, you see when I was in Grade 7 and finishing my junior school education, Cephas was in Grade 1 just beginning the journey. 

So one of my responsibilities was to walk with him to school and leave him by his classroom door. 

Later when he had become accustomed I would wave goodbye from the corridor and watch as he walked to his classroom. He would always turn, maybe just to check if I was really waiting for him to get inside. 

That is one promise that I know I faithfully keep, if I say that I will be waiting till one is safely inside, I will wait. 

I have learnt even with my daughters and other children that have been left in my care, that children will turn to check if one is still there. I am sure it helps in building trust. Enough about my babysitting and child rearing tips. I digress….

When I was in Journalism School, the typing class was mandatory and each morning began with the sound of keys hitting on paper. Imagine not one, not two or three typewriters at work, more than 20 at a time. Can you hear the sound in your mind? 

With time we knew which typewriters had stuck keys and one would try to be very early so as to avoid the cranky typewriters! With time some got quite attached to the cranky machines and they knew how to handle them and would actually `miss` the typewriters when they were being serviced.

Newsrooms back in the day had typewriters and when it was close to submission deadline time, there would be hitting fast and hard on the keyboard and at times the mood would be as cranky as the typewriters as one felt the pressure mounting!

Since there was need for many copies of what would be submitted to the News Editor, one had to make use of carbon paper. There was nothing as frustrating as having put the carbon paper wrongly and the print was on the wrong side. Such things usually happened when time was not on one`s side and the paper would be pulled out of the typewriter angrily.

Then there was the telex machine. It did not produce as much noise as the typewriter but it produced its own sound.

When it was either receiving or sending information, it would start with a little beep and then the message would be transmitted. One sound that was associated with the telex was paper being ripped off as copy was taken. 

Each day the millennium kids should respect us for the way that we had to live with all these machines that required so much energy!

Not many people spent much time on their typewriters, unless they really had to because use of the typewriters was work!

Now I consider myself computer literate and I am happy to say that there are things that I could not do on the computer that I do very easily. 

I am proud of the person that I have become! It may seem like it is nothing to be proud of but I know the journey that I have travelled! That I actually have an active email address is an achievement because at some point in my life, I had no idea how to have one.

So this week, Tuesday morning to be precise, I was checking my mail, email dare I add! 

An email reminded me that it was Menopause Awareness Day! At some point of my life I was so afraid of staining my clothes because I would start having my period when I was not prepared.

I was afraid and anxious. Now I am getting to menopause and the menstrual cycle is so irregular that no period application is helpful. 

The period application is yet to tell me that I am getting to menopause although it has on occasions asked me if I could be pregnant!

I am back to the just in case years where I must always have sanitary ware in my bag.

I now fully understand what irregular is. I have the dictionary meaning on my fingertips. Seeing that email in my inbox affirmed one thing there is age appropriate stress. 

While young girls are concerned about menstruation and its accompanying challenges, the more mature girls like me are on the flip side, approaching menopause slowly at times with limited information.

While the younger girls are dealing with increased hormones, the those born before technology and I affected by the decrease. 

We are on the same road but walking in opposite directions. Support remains key. Next time you meet a grey haired woman like me be kind, she could be affected by menopause and have no one to talk to about it!