DEAR ABBY: My 73-year-old mother took it upon herself to go to a senior center and learn how the computer works -- Internet, e-mails, etc.
She has five children, and we're all on the Internet. She didn't tell us because she wanted it to be a surprise -- and was it ever! I flipped when I turned on my computer and found her name on an incoming message!
Abby, Mom doesn't own a computer, and the nearest senior center that has one is 30 miles away, but that didn't stop her.
We're currently setting up a computer for her, and I'm proud to say that she'll be able to use it for more than playing one of her favorite card games, Hearts. We're all proud of Mom! -- COLLEEN IN ST. PAUL, MINN.
DEAR COLLEEN: I salute your mother and the burgeoning number of seniors who refuse to be intimidated by technology. Computers and cell phones have become cheaper and easier to use, and Web-surfing isn't a "sport" that's meant to be enjoyed only by the young. The computer-phobic can learn a lot from your mother's example.