| Kuro-kuro Ko Lamang |
by: Rtn. Chuck Montecillo
Computers and electronics are on my mind most of the time. Since my
profession falls along this line, this is normal. All day long, I sit in front of my PC to
do my work. I listen to a radio station based in Monterey to keep my sanity (that just
happens to be my favorite place on earth), and I play computer games to entertain myself.
My cellphone helps me communicate and keeps me in touch with the outside world and I get
my news either online or on TV. All in all, the digital world has become my world.
So let's examine what this has done to the world I live in. I grew up during a time when
nannies were two fold, a person who actually watched over me and an electronic device
(TV)which kept me occupied so I wouldn't be much trouble to that person. Once in a while,
there were those devices that hooked up to the TV that entertained me in an interactive
way (video games). Unfortunately, those devices weren't that entertaining for very long
(cheesy game play and graphics). But then, there were also toys (GI Joe and other Super
Hero figures) that filled in the gap.
As I grew up, I began to read books and magazines (mostly magazines since books took too
long and had few pictures). This enabled me to see what was going on in the rest of the
world as well as learn about how it was changing.
When I look back at that time, I realize things haven't changed all that much for me. It
just evolved. I still read magazines to get up to date with the happenings in different
areas of life. I never got in to the habit of reading newspapers (too unwieldy), but
CNN.com and Time magazine online take care of that as well as the local TV broadcasts. I
still use devices connected to the television for entertainment (Playstation), but this
time, I tend to be occupied for a longer period of time due to the excellent graphics and
gameplay. I don't have a nanny anymore, but I have friends and family that look over me to
make sure I'm following the proper path. (though sometimes that path leads to the bridge
of the Enterprise!)
It's amazing how computers have affected our lives. Geographic bounderies are getting
smaller, more can be accomplished in less time and our imagination can be expressed more
accurately.
As you all probably know by now, I am a frustrated race car driver. But, I can live that
role in the electronic world, a few hours at a time. Sure I don't feel the 3.55 g's while
negotiating the long sweeping turns at the French GP or feel the scraping of my knee as I
lean over a Superbike in turn two at Laguna Seca (though I have felt about 2 g's in that
turn in a Formula Mazda!), but the excitement is still present as well as the load on my
gray matter (used in setting up the cars or bikes for the best lap times).
When I go to the malls, I see more and more people in Cyber Café's communicating with
relatives and friends overseas or doing their work after hours. Teens and pre-teens (and
some not so teens) crowd the video arcades, living vicariously on game machines (fishing,
jet skiing, race car driving and even piloting robots of destruction).
Strangely enough, with all this going on, the thing I long for the most is to be in a
world that's simple. I like long walks on the beach just before sunset, or hiking on a
trail in the woods of around the red rocks of Sedona. I enjoy feeling the breeze while
laying on a beach chair, watching the sun go down and hearing the waves crash on the
shore. I love watching animals doing what they do, whatever it may be (cats especially).
That's the world I want to live.
..... as long as I have a 650 hp GT-1 racer in the garage (for weekends at Laguna Seca), a
Porsche 911 Turbo as a daily driver (I'm in to the older cars), an Apple G-4 hooked up to
the Internet via cable connection and a Sony Playstation 2 plugged in to the 55-inch flat
screen TV. A Nokia 8850 would be nice for conversations with friends and family, too.
Hey, I was brought up in that kind of world. Why fight it? Good morning RCMA, and welcome
to the Year 2000! |
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