Web Wizard

Tired of being stuck in a rut? Take a course at your local Community College. Classes are dirt cheap, and can rocket you into a new dimension of thought and self worth (to you and others?like an employer).

I recently did just that and the results are amazing. I was wanting to enhance my photography skills, so signed up for a Photoshop class. I was also wanting to create my own Web page, so, you guessed it, signed up for another class in Web page design. These classes are incredibly inexpensive, costing somewhere around a hundred bucks, and are 15 hours or so long. Doing the math, that plugs out to be less than the minimum wage. And the courses included a text, the use of classroom computers, and top-notch teachers. What a bargain!

The Photoshop class taught me what I wanted to know, and then some--well, quite a bit more. The Web page design class frustrated me to the point that I asked the teacher if she would design a Web page for me. She did me the biggest favor by saying ?no.?

I went home and schemed for a while, then saw the ad on TV I was looking for. ?Design your own Web page--$9.99 a month, with a 30-day free trial.? I checked it out and it seemed legit. I bit. Voila! I now have my very own Web page for my photography, junk sculptures, and Empty Nest columns. Even with a canned program, setting up my own Web page was still a lot of hard work, sweat, cussing, nail biting, and calls to the technical support people?who, by the way, are readily accessible, albeit hard to understand (not only do they have an accent, but talk in cyber-lingo). But the feeling of accomplishment, all that I learned, and the beautiful Web page I now have made it all worthwhile.

And the Web site?s not too shabby (for a numbskull). Check it out. Go to www.empty-nest-words-photos-and-frames.com. I know it?s wordy, hard to remember, and therefore not good marketing, but, hey, gimmie a break. I?m 63, and didn?t even know what ?domain name? or ?host? meant a week ago. Web wizard I?m not, more of a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none, I am. (As of my latest check, I had 52 hits on my Web site.)

Keep in mind the web site is a work-in-progress. I still have lots of ?designing? to do. The big advantage to creating my own Web site is that I have the ability to go in and make changes, additions, and deletions at will without having to call the Web designer, not to mention paying the Web designer. Talk about empowerment!

Oh, yeah. One thing I really got a charge out of is that the Web program had a Google Map feature that allows you to zero right in on an address by satellite. Unreal. And to think, not that long ago the first satellite was launched. Remember Sputnik?

So, do yourself a big favor. Check out your local Community College course catalog. The one I have came in the mail and is called ?Options for lifelong learning.? You do have options today.

Here?s just a few of the hundreds of life changers available: Excel, Power Point, Mail Merge, Accounting, Spanish, Resume Writing, Business Plan, Green Technology, Chemistry, Electronics, Programming, Biodiesel, Phlebotomy, Stained Glass, Bead Making, and Genealogy. Power to the people!

Take charge! You?re in the driver?s seat! And don?t forget the most important part of all. Have Fun!

Have a good story? Call Curt Swarm in Mt. Pleasant at 319-217-0526, email him at curtswarm@yahoo.com or go to his website www.empty-nest-words-photos-and-frames.com