Becoming Stronger

Oh! I am late! I have to go to Beirut. I am part of a team that will be discussing computers. Mom is going to take me there. “I’m ready mom!” I yelled out.

            On our way, I was thinking about it. I was kind of shy talking in front of people. We were in Beirut. The same place I came to before. Mom and I went down to the building and looked for room number 129.  We looked and looked. Finally, we found it.

Inside there were a big table and some people and kids my age sitting around it. I went and sat on a chair where my name was written. It was comfortable. Mom sat with the audience.

“We are going to start our discussion,” said a man I didn’t know. We were having a seminar about the use of computers. Everyone talked and discussed how computers help people to work and do things, and sometimes they help students to do their homework.

I was with this idea, but I also said that people, especially kids, should not use the computer a lot, and if they have to, it is better to use a computer, not a laptop because when they use laptops, almost all use them while sitting on couches or on the floor or lying on their beds. This causes back and neck problems. While when they use desktops, they can’t move them anywhere. And the safer way to use a computer is to get a desk with a chair and to put the monitor at the right height.

I also said that kids should not use the computer a lot, and maybe when they are 8 to 10 they can use it 30 minutes a day. As kids get older and older, they can get ten extra time because they need computers more and because their bodies become stronger.

“What are you saying there?” a man sitting at the end of the table said out loud. “We are in 2010. We are not in 1700. Everyone needs the computer. My son is 11 years old and uses the computer two hours a day. And I use it two hours a day too, and sometimes we use it three or four hours. We should use it whenever we want and as long as we want too,” he said in a loud voice.

Moments of silence. I was so embarrassed. What do I do? Everyone was looking at me. My face was red. It was so hot. What do I say? He’s a big man… How can I answer him?

Suddenly, a perfect idea hit me. I felt happy for a moment and I could feel a smile on my face. I said confidently, “You’re right. We need computers more these days. But kids should use them safely, and they should not use them a lot because it is not good for their bodies and for their health. It is not good for kids and not good for parents. We need to get our work done using computers but we don’t want kids to have back problems and aching hands. Also we want kids to sit with their families not only with their computers.”

“Okay. I have something to show on the screen,” a woman said. She showed a slideshow about using computers safely. One slide was about the monitor: how to choose it and the price to get a perfect one, and another slide was about the desk and how to choose it. A slide was about the chair, and one slide was about … I don’t think I remember, but one was about how to use the keyboard safely so our hands don’t hurt us.

We stayed talking about it for one hour. After that, we were done. My mom came to me, “Hi Lana. You were so good,” she said, “You were on the big screen,” she said.

“Wow. But my hair wasn’t so nice,” I said.

“It’s okay, honey,” she said.

We went to the car, and we put our seat belts on. “Do you want to go for ice cream?” mom asked me.

“Yeah... Why not?”

“Should we go to King’s Café or to Moonlight Café?”

“To King’s,” I said.

We went and sat at a table and had ice cream. Mom paid and then we went into the car and drove back home.

I knocked on the door of our house. My big brother Omar opened and said, “Hi, yelling girl. You were so funny!”

“So?” I said, “Hi, silly boy. You were so silly!”

I felt so happy because I did it, and I learned to not be shy talking about my ideas. I think I became a little older after this seminar and I learned a little more how to defend my ideas.