Strange New Lands – Grace and Geek

My husband’s friend is brilliant with computers and annoyed with the rest of us who hack away with little understanding. Bill tries to hide his impatience but I sense it.

For me, computers are mysterious boxes that are sometimes friend and sometimes foe. I feel helpless and bewildered by my laptop—especially when it abruptly (and for no apparent reason) decides to thwart my progress.

I am, therefore, thrilled when someone like Bill offers help.

Bill is a big bear of a man, full of bad puns and social awkwardness. He is the prototype of the computer geek, often churlish and condescending. But despite his social failings, Bill can also be sweet, warm, and passionate.

I’d configured a wireless network (amazing!) but couldn’t get my laptop to share my desktop printer. I asked various friends and colleagues for advice but none of their fixes took. Perhaps Bill and his wife would like to come over for dinner and he could look it over?

They were thrilled. They’d wanted to socialize more with us. Bill and his wife didn’t have many friends or social engagements. I’d been doubtful of our compatibility as a foursome but since the men were friends and I needed computer help, I thought dinner was worth a try.

Bill arrived, as usual, with a stale joke and a warm hug. Almost immediately, he noticed my computers purring in the background. He said he’d forgotten about our plans. My heart sank. But Bill’s natural curiosity directed him to a screen. I eagerly followed.

“So, did you invite us over so I’d fix your computer or because you wanted to have dinner with us?”

Ouch. What was that? I thought Bill was fine with my request. He seemed happy when I’d suggested it. And he’d previously offered help with no strings attached. What was going on?

“Both.” I replied honestly. There was nervous laughter. Bill began tapping the keys. Just as I’d hoped, my answer was a few clicks away. But he was annoyed by my desktop, it was too full. He started poking around to clean it up.