Fondest Childhood Memory

Fondest childhood memory? Getting in my father's '76 Green Vega on Saturday morning, and taking the long drive (or so it seemed to me) down to Lowell, where my dad worked as a technical writer at a company called Wang. He would work all day (or "putter", as my Mother called it), and I got to play on the nearby computer of one of his work mates. Monochrome monitor, bright green text on green-black background -- but it was magic to me.

The corporate computer system had only a dozen or so games on it, and I played them all to boredom. One game, however, kept my interest locked: Adventure. At first I played it as a simple text game. Then I realized it was bigger than my memory, and I needed to write things down. I drew maps of the dungeon, of complex mazes, and of a magical land, far far away. I idled my time solving puzzles and evading traps -- there weren't any beasties to battle against, it was more of a spuzzle game.

It shapped my fascination for computers and fantasy games for all the years afterwards. And it's something I think about on weekend mornings now that I have my own 3 boys, who's imaginations and minds I need to shape (as best I can) for the rest of their lives.

Picture: My dad, opening presents at last week's birthday party.