A little context

I just had a very strange experience.

I'm sitting here in Sheri's Coffeehouse in Norwalk, OH. A very nice but nervous older woman came over and asked me a few questions. It went something like this:

Her: "I've noticed you sitting here for a while. Is this [pointing at my laptop] a laptop computer?"

Me: "Yes, it is."

"Does it pick up many channels?"

With a perfect deadpan: "Actually, I'm connected to the internet. They have a wireless internet connection here."

"Oh, so you're connected to the internet?"

"Yes, I connect over the internet to my office, and I work from here."

"Where is your office?"

"I work in Chicago, I'm only visiting."

"Well how do you like Norwalk so far."

"Just fine. My wife is from Norwalk, I work from this coffeeshop every month or so when we visit."

"That's great. Have a nice time."

The takeaway from this:

• Not everybody knows what computers do, or even what they look like.
• I do have quite a lot of patience with the technically unaware.
• Even when I'm in a city where barely anyone knows me, I still can't avoid interruptions.
• If you're reading this, you're more technically savvy than you thought.