There are lots of ways a person can be smart in this world. It took me a long time to figure this out – but there are times I still revert to a childhood belief in my own utter stupidity.

For a couple of weeks now, my WordPress Admin page had been bugging me to install a new version of software that would fix a bunch of things I didn’t even know were wrong. So yesterday I finally set aside some time and took a concentrated look at what needed to be done. I mean, how hard could it be?

Hard enough, actually, as I had to call in reinforcements in the form of my poor husband (who already spends too much time in front of a computer) and a phone call to my genius friend Chris who built my website and to whom I owe a lifetime of techie gratitude.

After a number of hours and a mountain of patience on the part of my spouse, the new software was installed and I was left to ruminate on my uselessness in the world of technology. On the one hand, a few years ago I couldn’t even find the power button on my new computer, and now I manipulate files and navigate the web successfully enough to blog most days. On the other hand, what would I do without the people in my life who possess the computer smarts necessary for the more complicated side of this work – those who get me out of my computer jams? Without them, I might not have a website or be a blogger.

As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t grow up feeling like the sharpest knife in the drawer. (Algebra and beyond have a way of doing that to a kid.) But as it turns out, my skills include (but are not limited to) communication, negotiation, and creative problem solving. I may not know a tremendous amount of computer lingo, but neither am I a dummy.

I guess the important lesson for me with regard to software installation independence is that people of different “skill sets” need each other. In order for me to have a website and blog that look and feel like I want them to, I need the expertise of those capable of navigating the technological hurdles. Meanwhile, I have jobs that utilize my abilities and “soft-skills” as they are called and I am valued professionally for them. I simply need to value myself for these skills and not be so hard on myself when I need to call my personal tech support network for back up.

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