Essay: Remote control confusion

Essay: Remote control confusion

A woman reveals her frustrations with finding the right combination to work her home entertainment equipment while technology pushes her buttons.
Updated:
2009-10-25 22:38
Published:
2009-01-07 00:00
By 
Patricia Penny

Support groups for "Remotacantdoita"

Seeking help
"It's me," I whined to my daughter's voicemail. "Are you there? I want to watch a movie. Call and tell me how to make the **!!!# thing work." I hung up the phone as tears started to well. "I just don't get it," I wailed to the blank television screen.

When my daughter called back later that night, she convinced me that I needed help. "There must be others like you out there," she assured me later, her voice soothing but — was it possible? — almost condescending. "Find a support group. Share your feelings. You can overcome this — you have to overcome this."

A plea for support
Of course, she was right. The sheet of paper by my chair is Step 1 on my road to leading a normal life. I have found that there are people like me out there, mainly middle aged folks like myself, many of whom have suffered the humiliation and frustration of having to pass the remote to toddler grandchildren in order to turn on cartoons.

It is on their behalf that I am applying for government funding to start a much-needed assistance program. Letters to my M.P. have not yet been acknowledged but there is a demonstration planned for this weekend and we've arranged for national television coverage.

I just hope my M.P. knows how to use a remote so he can watch it.

Even if you can't get the TV on today, you probably still remember favourite shows from days gone by. Find your TV-IQ with our TV-show trivia test.

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