Life Changing Computers

A sixty-six year old mother sat down at her living room answering questions of a sixteen years old girl. Juana Kindom was born at a province called Glan Sarangani in the southern part of the Philippines. Her and her family moved here in California when she was seven years old. Her parents did not know anyone when they arrived; no other relatives to depend on. She did not know a lot of English words so it was hard for her to play and communicate with her classmates and neighbors. Her family was not wealthy but her parents were to support her with schools, and send her to a proper college. Because of her love of taking care of other people, when their sick, she decided to take a major in nursing. Juana became a devoted wife and mother at the age of thirty four and had three children by the age of forty-one. She had witness many changes during the Twentieth Century, and computers was one of the improvement that changed impacted her.

Well, I was born in the town called Glan Sarangani Province, Philippines; it’s in the southern part of the Philippines. Then my parents and I migrated here in the United States when I was seven years old, so we moved here and lived here. And my parents right now, they went back to Glan Sarangani Province because they don’t want to get old in here. I was born in September 13, 1940, kind of like before World War II, I did not really remember if I had experience the World War II, however, I heard a story from my mother that she carried me during the struggles because I was still a baby at that time. It was just a story; I don’t really know what happen. I was married by the age of thirty-four, I know I’m old when I got married but its worth, it was worth waiting because I found a really good husband. I’m happily married right now so happy. I have four children, two boys and two girls, so all are full grown ups, so I already have grandchildren already. Like four grandchildren so I’m a happy grandchildren right now. Back then, my job was a nurse, it’s really different with before, as you know, getting old as a nurse, it’s changing. I chose nursing, I kind of like helping people. Nursing is a matter of life. It felt really good if I help somebody especially if they need me sometimes; when the patient is really in pain it relieved the pain after I gave them their medication. It is amazing; it’s like you them very much. I didn’t live with my parents when I had my job, I lived in my own, when I had my job. Well, I moved here since I was seven so I just kind of adapted the American way even though I’m really Filipino but I got adjusted to the culture; I lived in my own, but I just visit my parents during holidays, during my day-offs, call then almost everyday. I guess my parents we’re proud of me when I became a nurse. They’re proud to all of us, to all of my siblings. My parents they just want their children to finish college and have a proper job to support for their own lives and for their own family someday. So, it is really good, it really helps me and my husband, so we bought a very nice house. We have a peace of mine.

  The computers, the computers are the main changes. It really changed the whole how the technology change people’s lives. Before, we don’t have computers we all use hands on job, well we had telegram or what do you call that before? But it really not really limited to have computers nowadays. Especially in my job, it really helps me a lot. Yeah, there were some rumors that it really changed your life, it really changed your life, for example before you going to write a mail I mean letter to send as mail, nowadays you can just write an email to your friends; especially these young people are very addictive to computers, they have computers stuff on their cell phone, it’s all confusing to me but I think it’s really good. I saw this commercial on TV, that this guy has a cell phone and he ran away from his home, and turn on his sprinkle through his phone, and he used his cell phone, I guess there was a computer; it’s through computer, without that the guys wouldn’t be able to do it. I think it’s really good. Well, yeah in my work, computers help me a lot. For example going to I mean entering orders that are going to the pharmacy and laboratory, nuclear medication and radiology. The staff in that department, they can receive the order very fast, and they don’t have to go down or like go down to have orders like this and that. The documentation are already all on the computers, it’s really easy and fast, I don’t know that much about computers, but it does helped me a lot. I was like forty to fifty years old when I got my very first computer. It was like ten to fifteen years ago, I think. Well, computers are just amazing. Typing, well before we had electronic typewriters but ones you get a mistake you have to do over and over again. Now, computers, you can just “delete” and “delete” and then it’s easy to correct if you made a mistake and it saves programs are basically like human brains, but, of course, they don’t have brains. They only have data or that one that we call disk, and now they have CD and traveldrive, then we have another kind, it’s not called traveldrive, it is called comportable drive! I heard about it, my son-in-law was talking about it. Yes, computer really made my life easier, especially with my work. And nowadays with my grandchildren, they all send me pictures of them through my computers; they’re really cute.

  I heard of IBM PC-Home computer as a first time of computer. Well, it’s not basically my first computer because I got my first computer, after all this. My first computer was, I think, Compaq. It’s kind of old and we might change it.  I don’t know, I mean my husband, my husband suggest that we should get a new. I don’t know I still like my computer. I didn’t use Arpanet, because Arpanet back then was expensive. Well, I didn’t use it; I didn’t get my computers right away. So, I didn’t really know about internet. I have to learn how to use computers first, so I’m using that on for my learning classes. Also, I didn’t use Ethernet. So my first actually, my first internet was American online or also known as AOL. In the Philippines, it is very limited to have computer but here in the US, my grandchildren, my children they are very cute. It is very fast and they can easily read my handwriting, I have really sloppy hand writing. So, I don’t have that problem now. I still used the same e-mail; it’s just a combination of my children’s names and my husband. I don’t blame computers the cause for people wearing glasses. Nowadays, medically, our environment is really getting worse. Like the ozone layers, but I don’t think it’s a bad progress, it’s a good one because it made people’s lives easier for them now and then. And, so, just imagine if we don’t have computers and we don’t cell phone because comes from computer, people actually had to go home and call somebody, so whoever invented computers, brilliant! 

  Of course computers really help me a lot, I really agree as computer as a progress. I don’t know why some people hate computers but I really like computers I can do my business on the computer nowadays. I can type my stock market in the computer; I can type my bank account to my computer. I can do a lot of stuff, I don’t have to go to the bank, and you can just pay stock market, shopping clothes, and stuff. My other member in the family, of course, they use computers too. They are the one that suggested to me, to all this new technologies.

Interview by Jophinale Elorta