RE: They don't need our stinkin' manuals?

["DeGuzman, Kathi" <Kathi -dot- Deguzman -at- Nextel -dot- com>]

Jo wrote:  "It's ironic that so many of us who write instructions for a
living rebel at reading directions ourselves ...."

It sure is ironic. Your post made me realize that even when I cook I can't
stand to follow directions. I have only used a recipe to make brownies, and
more recently, I gave that recipe to my sister and now she makes the
brownies when we have family gatherings. Additionally, dinner is made from
the recipe in my head at the moment I am creating the meal. I know if I ever
tried to make a main course by the book I would probably fail. I don't like
reading directions. I never have. If I could not figure out how to work
something just by fiddling with it, I gave the task of reading to someone
else. THen I just asked for the quick tour to get me started.

True my life could be different if I did read manuals, etc. For instance, I
could know how to program the phone with speed dial numbers ... but does
having to "dial" (push) 10 digits really matter in the whole scheme of life?
I think of it as a good way to exercise my memory ... instead of memorizing
which speed dial digit I assigned to which person, I just remember their
phone number (or dial 411 -- yep, rather pay the $.75 than read that phone
book! :~)

On the other hand, I guess if I read cookbooks my meals might be better
(depending on if you like my cooking), but my husband and children aren't
complaining....

Kathi Jan DeGuzman
Senior Technical Writer
Kathi -dot- Deguzman -at- nextel -dot- com <mailto:Kathi -dot- Deguzman -at- nextel -dot- com> 
 When I hear somebody sigh that "Life is hard," I am always tempted to ask,
"Compared to what?" ~ Sidney J. Harris
<http://www.cybernation.com/victory/quotations/authors/quotes_harris_sidneyj
.html> 





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