I was raised in the era of technology. As a child, I had a black and white television and was able to watch some of the siminal television programs i.e, I Love Lucy, Dick Van Dyke Show, the Rifleman, Lawrence Welk Show, Romper Room, and of course the Disney Mousekateers.
I visited Kiterick on KTRK for my birthday and played piano at the Shamrock Hilton. Neither of those exist any longer. I remeber Sputnik, the first Chimpanzee in Space and of course John Glenn's orbit of the earth. At 10, I new I was going to be a doctor some day. Times have changed quickly during my lifetime.
As I matured to my teen years the transitor radio was developed. We were cool carrying our favorite music with us where ever we went. Then the Vietnam War intruded on those carefree years. Color television was now the norm and we saw those violent battles in color and it made no sense. My medical career died as my parents didn't have the money for my education. With a scholorship, I started Chiropractic College, but soon learned it wasn't the type of Dr. I wanted to be. I was able to meet the men that walked on the moon along with Dion Warwick during those college years.
Thanks to the wonderful man I married, he encouraged me to become a teacher and later a School Psychologist. We have one wonderful son. Together, we saw the end of the Vietnam war. I had to give up some of my dreams, but manynothers replaced the voids.
I was married 10 years before I had my first air plane flight, though my parents had flown in the sixties to Mexico. Unbelievably, I was able to travel overseas in 1981. This was my big experience of a lifetime, or so I thought. Shortly after we returned, we were able to purchase our first computer, an IBM PC Jr. Wow, we were cool. Though it was little more than a toy and a word processor, it was the beginning of a new and wonderful, fast paced, technological world. I was on the cutting edge.
A couple years later, IBM decided they would no longer support their Jr, so I had to advance. A man named Jim Jarnigan built my next computer. He was one of the garage computer guru's that worked with Michael Dell and the founder of the compaq. Fortunately for me, he had missed out on the big breaks of his partners, but I was able to have a great computer at a reasonable price. As software became more user friendly, it was difficult to keep up with the hardware required to operate the latest and greatest software. We could no longer do it all, we had to specialize. Money was the regulator.
My choices have been limited to technologies that promoted my hobbies and careers. Those include anything to do with photography, music and family history. With technology, I have found extended family all over the world. I enjoy editing old and new photos as well as taking my own from all over the world. Piano is my instrument of choice, both a Yamaha C3A and a Clavinova. My husband plays guitars and drums of all sorts. The computer allows us to edit our music as well and record it.
As a School Psychologist, my computing was limited to generating reports and research for my PhD which never materialized. Today, as I embark on a retirement career in Real Estate with my son, I am once again learning the latest in technology. I am delving in the deep mysteries of the world wide web. Though young people have advanced far beyond me, I won't be left in the dark ages. Once again I am evaluating the world of technology to see how I can leave my mark on this old world.
Now that I am a grandmother, I have been able to watch my life and interests change as fast as technology. It has been a fun ride to date, but it is just the beginning. Stay tuned as we embark upon this new era of life.
No comments:
Post a Comment