Autobiography
Hot. August 28, 1947. the first child of new parents, born on a sticky day during that unpredictable time in August. Born "sunny side up" with no major complications. I was out of Saint Joseph's Hospital the third day. Home was a rented apartment in Horseheads, New York.
A rather uneventful childhood those first years with the unnoticed brother and sister, each arriving a year and a month apart from on another. From my perspective, it seemed like they had been there all the time. The young mother took care of her little ones as evidenced by the numerous snapshots showing outings in strollers, adventurous sights, and the required stories.
School started as kindergarten with half day sessions, snack breaks and naps on your rug. The learning curve was steeped with how to tie shoes and play nicely with others. First grade was no pleasant task for Miss Liebolt's students who favored their left hand to write with. Forth grade seemed nice with an awakened spirit of curiosity in technical areas.
At the age of eight, I became interested in electronics through my father's work in the field of radio and television repair. I couldn't appreciate exactly what he was doing when he repaired a piece of equipment, like a radio, but did understand that it was broken and he made it work again.
Dad began teaching me the basic principals of electricity and let me attempt small projects. I learned how to solder and use simple meters for measuring voltage. At one point, in an attempt to impress me about the dangers of high voltage, he shocked me with a power transformer! One moment I was hanging onto two wires, and the next I was picking myself off the floor on the other side of the room. Dad had underestimated the effect of the voltage on a kid.
While in high school electronics class, a visitor approached the class looking for student workers for the school district's television studio. I volunteered and began working as a cameraman, producing educational television programs for the district's elementary schools. As time progressed, I also learned studio construction, lighting and other skills. That step provided the basis for my twelve year career in television broadcasting where I advanced to chief engineer.
Who would have thought that a youngster watching his dad repair a radio could have such a profound influence on his life. From that small beginning at the age of eight, a career was launched that spans over fifty years. His pride in my accomplishment was made manifested during a conversation at home when friends and family were chatting. He said, "Tom forgot more about electronics than I ever knew." Those works filled me with enough confidence for a lifetime.
(Teacher comments: Interesting, well written and very informative. Good work. "A")
A rather uneventful childhood those first years with the unnoticed brother and sister, each arriving a year and a month apart from on another. From my perspective, it seemed like they had been there all the time. The young mother took care of her little ones as evidenced by the numerous snapshots showing outings in strollers, adventurous sights, and the required stories.
School started as kindergarten with half day sessions, snack breaks and naps on your rug. The learning curve was steeped with how to tie shoes and play nicely with others. First grade was no pleasant task for Miss Liebolt's students who favored their left hand to write with. Forth grade seemed nice with an awakened spirit of curiosity in technical areas.
At the age of eight, I became interested in electronics through my father's work in the field of radio and television repair. I couldn't appreciate exactly what he was doing when he repaired a piece of equipment, like a radio, but did understand that it was broken and he made it work again.
Dad began teaching me the basic principals of electricity and let me attempt small projects. I learned how to solder and use simple meters for measuring voltage. At one point, in an attempt to impress me about the dangers of high voltage, he shocked me with a power transformer! One moment I was hanging onto two wires, and the next I was picking myself off the floor on the other side of the room. Dad had underestimated the effect of the voltage on a kid.
While in high school electronics class, a visitor approached the class looking for student workers for the school district's television studio. I volunteered and began working as a cameraman, producing educational television programs for the district's elementary schools. As time progressed, I also learned studio construction, lighting and other skills. That step provided the basis for my twelve year career in television broadcasting where I advanced to chief engineer.
Who would have thought that a youngster watching his dad repair a radio could have such a profound influence on his life. From that small beginning at the age of eight, a career was launched that spans over fifty years. His pride in my accomplishment was made manifested during a conversation at home when friends and family were chatting. He said, "Tom forgot more about electronics than I ever knew." Those works filled me with enough confidence for a lifetime.
(Teacher comments: Interesting, well written and very informative. Good work. "A")
You're off to another great semester!!! Wayta go!!!
ReplyDeleteNicely done! I love your writing style!
ReplyDeletenice! you do have a fun style Dad.
ReplyDelete