Technology Challenges and Changes

I knew that I would be away from home today for a couple of hours, so I encouraged Jim to meet his buddies for the usual Wednesday lunch at a local restaurant. At first he said no, he wasn't interested. I let it go, knowing that if I pushed it he would likely become more resistant. My tactic worked! As I was getting ready to leave the house he announced that he was headed out to lunch with the guys. Hurray!

When I returned home he was pretty unhappy. The restaurant was changed from the usual meeting place. It's possible this was decided the week before and Jim didn't remember. He sat and waited for quite a while and finally decided to just go home when he realized no one was coming.

According to Jim, phone calls were made. Details are sketchy, and in stressful situations I don't press for details. It sounds like his friend tried to call him on his cell phone. In a previous post I wrote about the difficulty we had trying to find a phone that was similar to the one he had before. (His prior cell phone account and phone number were discontinued by the carrier for inactivity.) I believe he had problems today either trying to make a call or taking a call with his cell phone. He was just so upset, it was hard to watch.

So, back to the drawing board. I'll continue to look for another basic phone that will work for him. What makes it challenging is that he insists on a flip phone, he wants it to be no larger than certain dimensions, and no camera.

When his stress level is that high, it is hard for me to be internally calm. I really have to fight myself not to take in the anxiety he is experiencing. Nearly impossible. When he is that upset/anxious, he gets quite loud, expresses his anger, and generally is quite unhappy. I try very hard just to listen, stay calm, and try to put myself in his shoes. I know he is not angry at me, he is angry and frustrated at the situation. But boy, it sure is hard to not internalize all of the negativity, even if it is not directed at me.

This evening he is feeling better and his mood is back to baseline. A little while ago he said "thanks for helping me out and doing all that you do for me." How sweet!

We have an electrician coming on Friday to replace a faulty light switch. I discovered that Jim had taken the plate off with a screwdriver and was looking intently at the wiring. He reminded me that the red wires are "hot". Oh my goodness. It actually was pretty easy to get him to agree to having an electrician come to do this minor repair. For some, this may seem like an easy household repair. But I know NOTHING about electrical, and I certainly didn't want to rely on Jim's memory to do this repair.

We have a list of contractors and workers that we have kept updated over the years. These men and women are worth their weight in gold. It's reassuring to know that good help is available, if needed.

Well, thanks for stopping by and listening to me. I so appreciate each and every one of you!