An uphill climb

My husband spoils me.  I know this and usually when he buys me gifts, especially the electronic or technical kind he researches the heck out of them.  Consumer reports is a like his bible.  Most of the time I am ecstatic over his choices.  This Christmas he bought me Photoshop Elements. 

At first I was excited because I wanted software that would help me adjust and print some of my photos for reference.  As I looked at the box I was immediately intimidated.  This program was obviously way beyond my limited abilities. 

I installed the program.  What is this?  What does that do?  How do you do this?  Questions and more never to be answered questions hit me one after the other.  I realized I was looking at hours, no make that weeks, of trying to learn this program. 

“From all my research everyone says that this program is the best,” he says.

I start to ask around and I find that anyone who can actually use Photoshop is in an elite club, “the fraternity of the Photoshop”. 

So I try something else.  I purchase a dummy book.  You know the kind, the ones where they try and explain things in very elemental ways.  Even the dummy book is as thick as a New York phone book!  I soon learn that I am even dumber than that!  This is not good for my self-esteem.  So I put the program on hold.  There it sits, its little icon, at the bottom of my computer home screen, mocking me. 

I’m no quitter so I won’t give up.  I could take a class I suppose, but finding the time for that may be a little difficult.  Any suggestions, anyone, anywhere, anyhow?