In The Beginning

I was 4 years old when I first saw one at a Rolling Meadows community center.  I was not sure what it was but it was something that really opened my eyes. You can pretty much say it was a beginning a love affair with a computer. Not just any computer, it was an Apple computer. It was that moment that I remember my life would not be the same. Anytime I would go to a computer lab, I would be transfixed at the computers around the lab. At that time, there were no Windows, as I haven’t seen one what windows is at the time.

From Kindergarten through 8^th grade, I always was in front of an Apple computer. I have done my homework at class with it and also played games on a compatible one at home. My next-door neighbor had a Macintosh and I was transfixed on this kind of computer not only using a mouse with a point and click of a mouse. There is nothing like an Apple Computer. It was simple, easy and it was able to get the job done. By 9^th grade, there were no Apple computers around except of an Apple IIgs in in one room and a couple of Macintoshes in one computer lab. I first heard of Windows through this time and it was all WordPerfect, and that was the beginning that I was on a IBM compatible computer. I was able to get my homework done and still learn from it but I knew something was missing.

Despite working on IBM and Windows computer for most of my high school and college years, I always see an Apple computer. Despite all of those years working on Windows,  I would never forget the first time that I laid my eyes on a Apple product. From 2001 through 2005 I was mostly using Windows and it was my first computer I ever bought with my own money. Through that time, I hear about the buzz when it comes to the iMac since my college days. I was getting tired with Windows due to everything about it.  So I decided to get a iMac. It was a big risk since not much people have heard it and a lot of PC users were bashing it. But ever since I got it, it felt something that I was missing all those years when I first saw a computer. It still has that Apple trademark. It was simple and easy to use.

I still have the iMac that I have bough those years ago and I never really had any problems in the 5 years I’ve had it. I never got a virus warning, never got a warning saying that I “performed an illegal operation.” I made videos on it. I collected my photos and I play music and even record them. You can do that with other computers but for me, there is nothing like an Apple computer. When I learned about Steve Jobs passing this evening, it made me think of all those years why we have computers, iPods and iPhones today. Where would be if we didn’t have those products? In 1998 when he came back to the company that he had founded, he told everybody to “Think Different” than what everyone else was thinking. I can understand why some people can’t ever forget about the first time they saw or used an Apple Computer, iPod or a iPhone. Maybe that has why it has gotten to a point when it is the most valuable company in the world today. There will not be another person like Steve Jobs in our lifetime and I am happy that I was able to experience it. You will be missed and thank you for the vision that you shared with us and most importantly, the products that you introduced to us. 

September 11th - Ten Years Later

It was just like any other September day.  The weather was mild, breezy, and sunny that really makes your body feel relaxed. On that day of the attacks that hit the World Trade Center in New York, I was at the airport visiting a friend that was flying to Denver. It was the last time that I just went through security. I didn’t see the person that day so I just left. It was really quiet walking back not knowing what was happening in New York on that day. You can say that I was lucky to just get out of the airport. I didn’t see what was happening until I saw a TV that says “WTC towers attacked.” My first thought was “What is the WTC?” So it didn’t really sink in as the time goes by. At work, the whole atmosphere was solemn. Everyone was quiet; the store manager had the TV on all the time. I mean, this was big. I am the kind of person that it takes time for me to realize what was going on. I had to bowl league that night and that was the first time I saw the plane go through the towers. My first thought was not about anger like some people were. My first question is “Why?” Then I couldn’t believe they said the towers fell down. What? The World Trade Center is gone? It still didn’t sink in.

Post 9/11 I was asking more questions. I was not surprised what happened next as our nation will attack when we are being attacked. The president had to do something, even if is something I don’t agree at times but he is the commander in chief. As the day goes by, there was something that was happening around Chicago. There was a mosque being vandalized in Oak Lawn, and there was a lot of anger. It became all surreal for me to deal with and ask myself a lot of questions on what was happening in this world that we are living in. That was the first time the word “Islam” and “Muslim” appeared and I thought, “Interesting. What makes it different and what do they believe in?” 

In 2004, I made a decision that will change my life for the better. I was asked to join a bowling league on Saturdays. This was a league for a cause and I thought, “Sure why not! I will be happy to do it for a cause. This was a completely different environment and it is mostly Filipino people. So I started bowling for that league and one of the first things I did was to adapt to everything around me. Learn about the country, culture, people and some of the languages. I am sure that people where surprised and I was eager to learn more about something. I started communicating with people from Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and more from the Philippines. Some are Muslim and some are not. About 5% of the population of the Philippines is Muslim. Just learning more about people and just realizing that able to make friends overseas really makes the world smaller place.

As I am writing this today, I am doing this for myself and how 9/11 made me be the person that I was not before. What I learned and what is has made me today? There is going to be people that will hate and like you. It is better to learn about something than to judge what an individual thinks. Show people respect even if they don’t respect you. Everyone has opinions about anything. Don’t hate, educate. I have learned not to take everything personally and assume everything around me. It has really made me aware how communication though people is the best learning tool for me to use. That is why it is important to me. A lot of people lost their husband, wives, friends, mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, son, daughter, brother and a sister on that day. I never know when my time is up so it is better to communicate better and learn better. I am still American and I will be American and for me being here in this country and the world is the best gift anyone can have. My recent friend from Malaysia asked me one day when I was more open for myself. I told her it was the day in September that changed the world. Looking back how much I changed and think about things now, I can hope for things will be better and now we can be much nicer to people and learn from them rather than judging. That is my only hope to make the world a better place. A person can dream can’t he? I think any person could.

The dreaded Captains Meeting...

If these is one thing I really dread about the bowling season, is the honorary Captains meeting. It just seems every year is more surreal than the next. The captains on the teams are forced in a room and vote on the rules, money, handicap and all other issues. I mean everyone wants the handicap to be high to battle against the better bowlers to make it even. However we had 2 captains meting at the beginning and end of the practice session.

We had a one team that is blind. Apparently I heard they will fill that team. The issue was a all women's team (we are in a mens league mind you), and these average over 200. I had no problem with that, if they have a caliber to do that. At the end of the 1st meeting, they all agreed to bring them in. Since it was a full team and that means more money at the prize fund, it will be called a invitational rather than a mens league.

After practice, they got called in another meeting. I don't know what happened. Miscommunication? Disagreement? Whatever it is, the team backed out and it still going to be a blind team and a mens league. One said it was "sexist." Another said the old hats made the vote. Whatever it is and I still don't know what happened when everything blew up on this. A lot of men don't want to get beat by good women bowlers? I don't know but this is one of the reasons that I might leave leagues and bowl in tournaments only. Thankfully it only happens once a year! Whew.

A long drought.

I haven't even wrote in a long time but slowly but surely, getting in the habit. I am getting right back for the bowling season that will start on Friday. I haven't have any time to practice or to work something. Despite bowling for years, you have to keep going. My game I felt was going downhill to such a point that I had to work on something to get ready for the easy. I still have some ways to go but I came to a realization that I can't put too much pressure on myself and bowl the way that I used to.

But I still have it for what I have. So might as well do my best this season and have fun. I still take things very seriously and I have to admit I am always learning something new to handle things. But take it one day at a time and enjoy it. I am looking forward for the bowling season. No wonder bowling has been through for me though ups and downs in life.