I saw a new client a few weeks ago. We’ll call her Angie, she’s in her mid 60’s. When she called me, she had questions about the rainbow ball, updates on her computer, and how to get photos off of flash drives. When I got to her apartment, I saw another issue that needed to be addressed.
Her desktop was covered with unnamed photo icons. I addressed her initial questions and since we had time, commented, “You sure do have a lot of photos here. How about we put them in folders?” She hesitantly replied, “No, I don’t really like folders.” She added, “I kind of have a fear of folders.”
I backed off on the folders but suggested we name the photos so they would be easier to identify. They were from her yard sales and I showed her how to click on IMG_4201.JPG and rename it Scarves_2017. After we renamed a half dozen of them, she got the hang of it and loved how they alphabetized themselves on her screen.
After she named a dozen more, I carefully broached the subject of folders again. “Angie, I’m going to make one folder on your desktop. I’m not going to put anything in it without your permission. We can delete it, if you like.”
I made a folder. We looked at it. I said, “I’m going to drag Scarves_2017 into it,” and I did. I clicked on another image, we looked at each other, she nodded, and I dragged it into the folder, which we had named Yard Sale 2017. When she realized how it worked, her shoulders relaxed.
Little by little, Angie was creating folders, naming them, and dragging photos into them like a pro. When our lesson was over and we were scheduling our next visit, she stood up, smiled, and said, “I’m not afraid of folders anymore!” And her desktop was a beautiful thing.
Nancy Spear
Nancy's Tech Help for Older Adults
310-365-9951 • info@nancys-tech-help.com • www.nancys-tech-help.com
