Tags: I see it this way!

Plate should translate as "number one Syracuse University fan". Over forty(yes, 40) years ago I was on the campus of Syracuse University in upstate New York.  I had transferred from a small Black college, Huston-Tillotson, in Austin Texas. My stepfather had landed a job as a principal in a high school in Syracuse. This allowed me to move north to a big highly rated school. There are many fond memories of SU.  One of the things I'll never forget was how I became interested in computers.  I obtained a job in school to help financially.  My job was in the computer center as an assistant.  When I first started computers used punch cards to store data. That and magnetic tape drives. There were even machines to collate cards. To program these machines I had to plug wires into different configurations. The head of the computer center gave me a chance and allowed me to learn to program the mainframe computer. She will always be remembered. I soon learned to program the IBM 1620 mainframe computer. Before that I learn a language called Basic.  Over the years, I've taught myself other computer languages as a hobby.  I feel photography and computer programming have a lot creativity in common. I was in a band and played saxophone. The lead singer was a football player and we had a ball.  This was the sixties, drugs, sex and revolution, we thought. All good things come to and end and my grades went south. I was drafted. It was go to Canada, go to Vietnam or go to jail.  I  decided to spend three year in the US Army. I was totally against the war.  Even my year in Viet Nam I was not supportive but hoped to get back home. Luck have it, I was not in combat.  My first six months I was the parts clerk in the motor pool.  The last six I spent during electronics repair.  Since I was seldom in danger I actually had some good times in Viet Nam. The base I was stationed had a swimming pool left by the French.  They were there before the USA.  Before we left they built a steam bath on base. I never got to go to Saigon.  That's where are the all action(partying) was. My twin sister, Elaine, also loved Syracuse.  She's gone now but she would bounce back and forth between Syracuse NY and Houston TX. So now I have a nephew in Syracuse and nieces in Houston.