Bob

Batz

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January 28, 2008

Password for a Password

One of the most frustrating things about getting a computer is that you have to choose a password.

When I was faced with that dilemma, I asked my wife Sally for some advice.

She has computer savvy and knows what to do and not to do when selecting a password.

“Pick a password you can remember,” Sally said, quickly adding “Of course, given the fact it is Mr. Forgetful who is picking that password, I’m not sure it’s going to work.”

That ticked me off. “Oh, yeah”, I said, “well, yes, I forget a few things, but I’m sure as heck not as bad as you make me out to be, Sharon.”

“It’s Sally, darn it, and if you ask me, you just confirmed what I already knew about you. Quite truthfully, you forget everything. Like the last four digits of your Social Security number . . . your cell phone number . . . my birth date.”

I’d heard enough.

“Forget that stuff, OK?” I said. “Just help me pick a password. I’d like something really macho, you know? Like maybe Super Stud.”

When she stopped laughing 20 minutes later, we got down to the business at hand.

Sally started offering ideas for passwords. “You had a dog when you were a little kid, right? Well, dog names make great computer passwords. What was your dog’s name?”

“William Henry Harrison,” I replied.

Sally stared at me. “Let me get this straight. You actually named a dog William Henry Harrison?”

“Yup,” I said. “When I got the dog I was in junior high school and we were studying U.S. history.”

Sally rattled off more suggestions.

I reacted to each one.

“What’s your favorite thing to do?”

“Sleep.”

“Is there something your mother used to tell you all the time?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said.

“What was it?” she wanted to know.

“Get a job,” I replied.

An hour after we began our little ask-and-answer session, it was over.

And now I may be the only person in America who has the word “password” for a password.

© 2008 North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.

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