Hold on ...let's think LO11611

Bbcompton@aol.com
Mon, 30 Dec 1996 23:09:22 -0500

Replying to LO11606 --

The topic of my technology has been interwoven in this thread, and I'd
like to make a few things clear:

- It is true I have a lot of technological gadgets. I always have. When I
was 12 I wanted the first digital watches on the market. When I was 15 I
bought my first programmable calculator (an HP 10C, which I bought with
money I saved from my paper route).

- Growing up my parent's basement was full of computers. I was constantly
"hacking" downstairs. . .often all night long. A long time ago there was a
public network similar to CompuServe called "The Source." I spent
countless hours trying to hack into that network. I never succeeded. I
settled for simpler things such as university computers.

- When I was a kid I explored all types of technology: Chemistry, physics,
biology, botany, anatomy, and astronomy. By the age of 12 I was building
my own bombs and blowing up cherry trees and corn fields. My basement
became the home of a mad scientist. Finally one of my bombs blew up in my
face, which caused me to have plastic surgery and eye surgery. I spent a
couple of months blind. . .a rather frightening experience.

- But I always sacrificed other things for my technology. While most kids
where buying comic books, new clothes, and so forth I was buying
chemicals, software, and components for my microscope or telescope. It was
a matter of priority.

- Today I still sacrifice the stuff many people value for my technology. I
don't spend a lot of money on clothes because I'd rather buy books,
software, hardware, etc.

Granted I make enough money that it doesn't take me a long time to save
enough money to buy the stuff I want, but I do have to give up other
things for my lifestyle. Many people tell me, "I could never afford that
type of technology." Neither could I if I wore Ralph Lauren shirts and
Tommy Hilfiger pants. I buy my clothes at K-Mart, ShopKo, or other outlet
stores so I can spend it elsewhere.

Of course there are those people around the world who don't even have
money to save. These are the people we need to be concerned with. They are
the ones that are missing out. . .not by choice but by circumstance.

--

Benjamin B. Compton bbcompton@aol.com

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>