Young Experiences

Mikes tale of getting lost on his "big wheel" as a kid in the "Have You Ever" thread kind of got me thinking.  Out of the blue I remembered an experience that I had as a kid that helped shape who I am as an adult (completely unreleated to Mikes story).  I'm guessing all of us have had some kind of experience like this, maybe it was the first time you rode in a train, or an early experience fishing with a friend or relative, or maybe even a scary event in your youth that might have influenced how you see or interact with the world.  I want to hear about.

For example here is the experience that I just remembered this morning.

One of my first experiences cooking for other people (or at least preparing food) came when I was in middle school.  My parents were members of the Moose Lodge, and one or two nights each month they would have “Bingo Night”.  My mother would often volunteer to work at the concessions counter selling coffee, soda, popcorn, chips etc.  They also had a grill where we would cook hamburgers and such.  I remember going with her to help.  I was in charge of the popcorn maker (it was one of the smaller commercial type ones, like they have at the movie theaters).  In addition to that I also worked the grill.  I was probably only in seventh or eighth grade, but I remember working that grill like a maniac.  It was a lot of fun and I really got a kick out of some of the patrons who would comment on such a young fellow being quite handy in the kitchen.  To this day I still love to cook (even though doing it nearly every single day can feel like a chore).  I can’t help but think that the early praise I got from the bingo crowd at the Moose Lodge was something of an inspiration that kept me working on my culinary skills.  Who else remembers an early experience that helped foster a passion for something they still love?

For me my love of Hard Rock music came when I heard Scorpions "Blackout".  I was listening on headphones and about 43 seconds in, at the start of the 2nd verse, the way the guitars worked together playing different things just blew my mind.  From that point on I wanted to learn how to play guitar.

Xid wrote:

For me my love of Hard Rock music came when I heard Scorpions "Blackout".  I was listening on headphones and about 43 seconds in, at the start of the 2nd verse, the way the guitars worked together playing different things just blew my mind.  From that point on I wanted to learn how to play guitar.

Absolutely fantastic!  (and also a great album)

Staybrite wrote:

Absolutely fantastic!  (and also a great album)

I, too was in Middle School.  Still one of my favorite albums even though I don't have a copy any longer.

It was a bald eagle flying over my house on Christmas Eve when I was like 7 years old that kindled my interest in birds.

When I was around 11-12 years old I started taping off the radio. I would tape ALL the time, every day. My dad still has most of the cassette at his house (and now that I have a cassette player hooked up to the computer I need to get those back and make digital copies of some of them). I had hundreds of cassettes. Our local rock station in Knoxville used to do gimmicks on July 4th called "The Firecracker 104" (which was the station number Rock 104 WIMZ). I would buy a bunch of blank cassettes and tape all 104 songs. One year I think they did a "Firecracker 500" and I taped all 500 songs!

Anyway, this got me interested in radio and when I was in high school I decided I wanted to be a DJ. My first job in radio (not my first job, but my first radio job) was at a Christian AM station in Knoxville. I worked there swapping out Focus On The Family, Insight For Living, stuff like that. Lot of breaks because the shows would run on 45 or 60 minute cassettes. So I would start a new show and play around with the old records in the production studio. Then while i was in college I got a job at the Top 40 station in town. Worked there until I graduated from UT and then got a full time gig in Cookeville, TN at a country station. Worked there 2 years then moved to Cape Girardeau, MO doing Classic Rock.... Moved in 2000 to PC, FL then burned out and "retired" from radio in 2005. 

But as a kid I was always interested in all aspects of radio. Not so much any more and hindsight tells me I should have done something else but when I started working in it, it was loads of fun. Automation pretty much killed the fun and the pay is lousy.

Driven wrote:

It was a bald eagle flying over my house on Christmas Eve when I was like 7 years old that kindled my interest in birds.

Very cool!  Do you catalog any of the birds you observe?

MikeInFla wrote:

But as a kid I was always interested in all aspects of radio. Not so much any more and hindsight tells me I should have done something else but when I started working in it, it was loads of fun. Automation pretty much killed the fun and the pay is lousy.

When I was a teen and came to the realization that I didn't have enough musical talent to be a professional rock star, I briefly entertained the notion of being a radio DJ. After recording a few cassettes of my own voice I kind of decided I didn't really have the voice to be behind the mic and just let it go.

I have heard that unless you are main host on a nationally syndicated show that there is no real money in radio.

I've mulled around several experiences from my childhood trying to think of any that made significant changes or impressions on me for life... honestly, aside from a handful of negative experiences (bad health, being bullied, being abused by a couple neighborhood kids) I can't think of much else.

I suppose there's the art experience when I was 5 years old. I was told by my older brother that people who traced pictures are lame cuz anyone can trace something, and that I should learn to draw what I see instead. I spent hours working on a Snoopy and Charlie drawing, all freehand. When I was done, I realized I did it !  Then the experience later of many people praising me for doing such a great job. I loved that attention and that's when I decided to practice drawing ALL THE TIME... which I did. I was OCD about becoming an artist, clear back to 5 and 6 years old - all the way up until college, when they told me basically that I couldn't make a living off of what I loved doing.

That is a cool account G/F.

And as for "making a living" by doing what we love, I think that might be a blessing in disguise.
I cook one meal a day usually 6-7 days a week (sometimes more than one meal).  After 30 years of doing that I find myself often growing tired of doing it.  Can you imagine if you drew 8 hours a day 40 days a week 50 weeks a year for over 30 years you might tire of it?

I shared on Facebook a little but will share here again.

I remember being younger - 12 or so - and my parents going to another couple's house to play cards. The other couple was older and their kids were grown so I had to occupy myself. I had just discovered Isaac Asimov and the Foundation series and was entranced by it. Around this same time, it felt like I couldn't do much that my dad appreciated (he wanted me to play sports, I preferred music, that kind of thing). I specifically recall that he thought I joked too much and was noisy and distracting when we were out somewhere (that hasn't changed - I'm still noisy and distracting).

Anyway, we went to this couple's house and I had Second Foundation. I sat on their couch and read the whole time. Towards the end of the night, the lady in the other couple mention how quiet I was. I remember thinking "Finally! Something I'm good at."

To this day, I still read quite a bit.

I love to read too, and like you started with Science Fiction (only with Robert Heinlein instead of Asimov).  Strangely enough my father-in-law was a huge Asimov fan and he was the one who encouraged me to read the original Foundation Trilogy (I don't think I've read any of the later books).

You have done a little bit of writing too haven't you?

I've actually done a lot of writing... unfortunately none of it was any good (or completed).

I've had several great ideas for novels and even outlined and started them but they end up either being more of a short story or I get stuck in the middle with no way to get to the end...

ishmael81 wrote:

I've actually done a lot of writing... unfortunately none of it was any good (or completed).

I've had several great ideas for novels and even outlined and started them but they end up either being more of a short story or I get stuck in the middle with no way to get to the end...

I think we have discussed this before, and I will say it doesn't help that you have a young child (they eat up so much of your time).  I have been working on a memoir of sorts about my time in the military that I started over a decade ago and have only manage to get about 20% complete before I stalled.  Frankly I haven't looked at it in at least the last 6 years.  Not sure what it takes to get motivated to get started again.

My son does occupy my time but I read at least two hours a day and I watch at least that much TV.

My problem is partly motivation but partly just a lack of belief that I'll actually finish a novel that anyone wants to read.

ishmael81 wrote:

My problem is partly motivation but partly just a lack of belief that I'll actually finish a novel that anyone wants to read.

I can totally understand that.  It was at least part of my motivation for writing about things that actually happened to me.  First thought was that I wouldn't have to "come up with a good fictional tale/characters"....in addition to that I  knew that at least my immediate family members would be interested in reading it, just so they could see if I said anything bad about them.

Final factor was that I would be writing about my favorite subject.....ME!

Staybrite wrote:

Driven wrote:

It was a bald eagle flying over my house on Christmas Eve when I was like 7 years old that kindled my interest in birds.

Very cool!  Do you catalog any of the birds you observe?

In one of my dad's older birding books, I've put stars next to the species I've seen. I haven't updated it in a few years, mainly because I haven't seen much that was new, which is due in turn to me spending less time birdwatching.

When I was young I went with my mom and aunt to watch birds.
At least they were watching birds, I was watching the cows.

Now years later I love to watch birds too. When I've seen a new bird I've never seen before I put the date behind the name.

I've heard that bird watchers (and butterfly watchers as well) can quickly catalog all of their local birds within a few seasons.  They've told me that any vacation or work/school trip away from your local region is a great opportunity to spy out new species....so you have to remember to take your binoculars.

When "The Search For Spock" came out, my dad took me and my sister to the theater to see it.  I did not know who Spock was or why they were searching for him.  However, I paid attention to the movie.  I liked science fiction novels already and read a ton of them.  This was different.  Daddy didn't take us to the movies.  This was the FIRST film he had ever taken me to see.  This was a special event! 

Soon after, we rented on VHS the first two Star Trek movies.  I loved them!  We then started watching syndicated reruns of the original series.  My dad and I didn't have much in common, but the love for Star Trek stayed true to the end of his life.  I took him to see all of the remaining Star Trek films except for "Generations" right on up to the reboot.  He died a few months after the 2009 reboot movie.

So, because of my dad, I am a Trekkie.  Live long and prosper, Daddy!

My wife and her father shared a special connection with Star Trek as well.  They would watch the original series on television and even went to a few of the Original and first TNG cast movie together.  They were even working on some preliminary writing for a Star Trek novel together, but it was a long distance thing (as we lived on opposite ends of the country at the time), and they never got beyond the about the first chapter.
Sadly he passed in 1995, anytime my wife sees a new Star Trek movie she's always left wondering what her father would have thought of it.  She enjoys watching them, but I think it makes her miss her father even more.

Quote :

Sadly he passed in 1995, anytime my wife sees a new Star Trek movie she's always left wondering what her father would have thought of it.  She enjoys watching them, but I think it makes her miss her father even more.

I did, at least, get to watch the first of the three new Star Trek films with my dad.  He thought it was fun even if different.  He understood that it was a reboot and that the original canon wasn't being used.  He still liked it which made me like it as well.  The next two made me miss him.

All very cool and touching stories. Thanks for starting this thread and for everyone sharing. I enjoyed reading them.
Live long and prosper. Nanoo Nanoo

alldatndensum wrote:

When "The Search For Spock" came out, my dad took me and my sister to the theater to see it.  I did not know who Spock was or why they were searching for him.  However, I paid attention to the movie.  I liked science fiction novels already and read a ton of them.  This was different.  Daddy didn't take us to the movies.  This was the FIRST film he had ever taken me to see.  This was a special event! 

Soon after, we rented on VHS the first two Star Trek movies.  I loved them!  We then started watching syndicated reruns of the original series.  My dad and I didn't have much in common, but the love for Star Trek stayed true to the end of his life.  I took him to see all of the remaining Star Trek films except for "Generations" right on up to the reboot.  He died a few months after the 2009 reboot movie.

So, because of my dad, I am a Trekkie.  Live long and prosper, Daddy!

I kind of find it hard to believe you didn't know about Star Trek until movie III. We are about the same age and I remember always loving the show. I used to watch it with my dad when I was a young kid. It came on Saturday nights and we never missed an episode. I had the toys like this:



I even had Star Trek Colorforms!



I remember being sad when I discovered the series was cancelled before I was born! I thought all of the shows we watched on Saturday nights were first run. Another kid told me the show had been cancelled in the 60's and I couldn't believe it. 

Then i remember 1979! My brother's wife said she was taking us (my nephew and I) to see Star Trek: The Motion Picture! So we went and while it was visually stunning it was pretty boring for an 8 or 9 year old kid. We used to call it "The Motion Sickness" or "The Motionless Picture". 

Then when ST II came out we were living in Tennessee. My dad wanted to take me to see it. When we got there the line was wrapped all the way around the theater and the movie sold out before we could get tickets. I was greatly disappointed but my dad assured me we would see it the next weekend. And we did, and it was awesome! Much better than Motionless Picture! ST III I saw with a group of friends... My dad wanted to go but by this time I was too cool to hang out with my dad... I eventually saw it with my dad but it was later on, when it was on TV. 

Luckily my dear old dad is still with us, as is my mom but they are getting up there in age.