Fantasies Fulfilled

Ever since I was a little kid, I discovered many things that caught my fancy for various reasons, and I would often daydream about things I wanted to do based on those things.  In particular, my early discovery of computers, music, and TV game shows has paved the way for things I ended up doing in my adult life.

Back in 1978, my discovery of computers started with a book my mother got me out of the library.  The book didn't cover any particular type of computer, but it covered BASIC programming and applications that could have run on any sort of computer.  I remember enjoying reading the book, and I somehow ended up in a Radio Shack store trying out the BASIC programming I read about when I got to play with a TRS-80 computer.  Over the next few years, I ended up reading about the TRS-80 BASIC and DOS, learning about how it all worked, eventually getting a TRS-80 computer to work with at home, and I knew I wanted to be a computer programmer.

When I was in high school, I discovered various types of text-based communication systems. Bulletin Board Systems, as well as chat systems, really fascinated me.  I remember daydreaming about building a "BBS & Chat" system with TRS-80 computers hooked up with a "multiplexer" to a hard drive I saw advertised in 80-Micro Magazine.  I also thought it would be cool to have my equipment housed in my grandmother's condo down the street from me, since she wasn't using it, but I didn't know I'd have to pay her rent if I did that.

After bumbling through high school, college, and several programming jobs, I'm very happy that I ended up doing a voicemail system that includes bulletin boards and chat rooms, so I ended up living out my teenage fantasy of designing such a system, and it's doing very well for me.

But that's not all.

When I was as young as 5 years old, I would often catch game shows on TV.  There was Wheel of Fortune, The Price Is Right, Match Game, The Cross Wits, Pass The Buck, Whew, and many more back in the 70s.  Although I couldn't answer the questions, I enjoyed the gameplay, music, and sound effects.  I would sometimes have dreams about being a contestant on some of the shows.  In recent years, I discovered Home Game Enterprizes, a group of young guys that put on simulated game shows at conventions in Los Angeles.  I have had an opportunity to "be on" just about every game show I had ever watched as a kid.  I'm still waiting for them to put on Whew, but I know they will someday.

Another thing I enjoyed doing ever since I was a kid was playing the piano by ear and writing original music.  I have written a number of songs over the years, and three of them are what I consider my best work:

"New York Girl," a song that was inspired by Narada Michael Walden, the record producer for Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin

"Stuck Up Girl," inspired by Hall & Oates

"Lisa (You Don't Have To Surf The Net)," inspired by Def Leppard and other hard rock groups of the 80s.

I had always wanted the artists that inspired my work to perform my songs, as they could really do them justice.  Although that hasn't happened yet, I did get a Def Leppard tribute band to record Lisa, and they did a wonderful job on it.  Also, I have been attending Rock & Roll Fantasy Camp, and they may be getting Narada Michael Walden to do a future camp, and I would love to present "New York Girl" to him.  John Oates almost made it to Rock & Roll Fantasy Camp, but he canceled, so I hope he makes it there at some point.

So, the bottom line is that I'm very happy that I have explored so many of my creative outlets and fantasies, and many wonderful things have happened in my life.  Of course, I have many untapped fantasies, and I am optimistic that I will continue to have those fantasies fulfilled in the future.