24 Days to Christmas: Day 9

Day 9: Best Gift Received As An Adult

Yesterday, I mentioned that my family never had a computer when I was growing up. Now, part of that was the times - for most of my childhood, computers were something of a luxury item or something mostly used for business. In the small town where I lived, the gifted students were allowed to use a computer once a week at school. Everyone else on campus was out of luck.

Even when we moved to the city, I had to go to a friends' house to play Oregon Trail. My family wasn't into spending money on major purchases that were unnecessary (unless they were used cars bought with trade-ins). In high school, I had an electric typewriter and used the computer lab at school. I taught myself typing from a book. Before I went away to college, I received a Brother word processor. 

I often asked my parents if we could get a computer, but no such luck. And I had to admit, the Brother got the job done. Many philosophy papers on the meaning of life and aesthetic theory were typed on that thing.

One Christmas - I think I was still in college -- I opened a present from my dad; I had no idea what it was. And inside, my dream come true: a laptop! This was well after computers were standard for any professional adult, and college students all had them. The best thing about this gift was that it was a complete surprise. I never actually thought I would get a computer.

Man, I loved that machine. It was a refurbished Dell. I quickly grabbed myself an AOL disk from the grocery store, and entered the internet age.

The best thing about this vintage item -- which I will never give up -- was the size. You know those commercials where they show that an iPad is thinner than a pencil? Well, here's my computer:

Let's see that up close, shall we?

 Nevertheless, it was mine all mine, and remains the most memorable gift I've gotten as a child or adult.