Lineage
The oldest parts of my family tree trace back to the Vikings and the Merovingians. Part of it came to America with the Pilgrims. Other parts came in as indentured servants from Scotland. We fought in the Revolution, Civil War and others. We are patriots. Really we’re a mess (in the Southern sense). Lots of my ancestors have lived just east of Atlanta for about 300 years. Lots of them were dirt farmers. A few were other things. We are who we are because of where we came from. I’m an Engineer (no, not the train kind). I went to Georgia Tech and got out in the early 1980s. My masters is from Georgia State University. (My wife is a UGA grad and my kids are KSU alumni. Remember we’re a mess.)
One of my grandfathers was born in the late 1800s. He was orphaned around age 10. He graduated from UGA in 1928. Realize how rare that was. He was an inventor. He also had patents (Probably why I have over 50). He taught me how important it is to teach. He valued imagination. My grandfather also taught me how much you learn when you teach. I owe a lot to him.
One of my uncles worked as a consultant for IBM. That’s what got me into computing. It’s the little things you do that leave the biggest ripples. Thanks Uncle Billy.
I was the first member our big family to get a masters degree from college. Being a competitive bunch one of my cousins just had to get a doctorate. I’m sure our grandfather still beams about that. (oh – Ask my aunt about her tar pie)
Teach
I encourage you to be a mentor to others. It doesn’t have to be family. I’m in several mentor programs. I have students from everywhere in most of the largest technology companies. I teach technology and I teach bonsai. I have also been a soccer coach. We’re still learning.
Tech
My earliest memory of technology was a trip to Nashville as a kid. I found a passion for audio electronics. Most of my work during high school money went to stereo equipment. Eventually I found computing. My grandfather made sure I got a computer. It had two floppy drives to start. The memory was 64K – yes kilobytes. I worked on it like I worked on cars. Upgrades are just part of the process. I still have a scar on my leg from it falling on me while adding a hard drive.
Computers were big then. Now I carry a computer in my pocket that has more juice than the Apollo program during the moon shot. I still love to tinker with technology. Technology is an attitude. I don’t let the machine win. That’s a competition too.
Computing is my profession. Isn’t it great. I get paid for my hobby. It must be awful to have a job that isn’t your passion. Even light bulbs and thermostats have computers in them now. Think of the systems you can build with all these sensors and brains. No – Don’t get me started about Skynet. I know what can happen if you let the computers win. 🙂
AT&T shows me as retired now. The joke’s on them. I’m busier playing with tech now than I was working for them. My passion. My problem.
We live in Lone Oak now. I bought a garden with a house in it. Still do computers. Still do tech. Still do bonsai, and photography, and work on cars, and love to build things.Your profession can be a passion – or not. I am passionate about technology and bonsai. One pays the bills for the other. (Remember we’re a mess)
Have you figured out the problem? It’s what / who I am. My big passions turn out to be teaching and technology. (I have lots more. Want to talk about bonsai?) So – I often teach about technology. (When I’m not teaching about bonsai). That brings us to the WRTG. Join me in our technology group. We can help you overcome your tech gremlins, provide answers to you questions / problems, or just have interesting conversations.
-Mark