‘I TAUGHT MY GRANDKIDS TO KNIT — ON SKYPE’
Irish Independent
April 9, 2012 Monday
SEVENTY-seven-year-old Marie O’Gorman recently spent two hours teaching
her grandchildren to knit a scarf — via Skype. ToArmenia.
“I have five children, 18 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren
— I need my computer!” quips Marie, from Walkinstown, in Dublin.
She certainly does — her daughter Edel now lives with husband Frank
and their four children in Armenia, while her granddaughter Zoe,
Zoe’s husband Chris and their children live in California.
“I Skype to Armenia every week. This week I was teaching my
grandchildren how to knit one of those new frilly scarves. They have
the hang of it now and they’re just waiting for the wool.”
Marie often gets a text from a grandchild in Armenia instructing her
to go on Skype.
“We turn it on and spend ages talking. The knitting lesson conversation
went on for nearly two hours! I also Skype my granddaughter Zoe in
California. Her three-year-old daughter Ailish and her four-year-old
son Christopher love it!
“I email and I pay my bills on the internet.”
Marie had never as much as looked at a computer until Edel and
the family emigrated to Armenia in 2006.”I’d post letters and
they mightn’t always get them. The telephone service was poor —
the signal was bad. After a few months of that I got an old computer
from a friend. I couldn’t even type.”
Then she heard about Age Action’s Getting Started course.
“I had a tutor, it was one-to-one and I did the course for about six
weeks. Later on, I did a more advanced course. I’m a very determined
person. I feel you should try to learn stuff,” says Marie.