TLM

Growing up, I was the youngest of four. I often emulated what my second oldest brother did. Anything he found interesting, I found interesting. I’m not sure the exact date or age I was, but at some point I was introduced to the comics my brother collected. I know comics are not really technological, but I think they did contribute to my learning experiance. They were mainly of X-Men, Spiderman, and Batman. I remember reading them and being fascinated by the thought of super-heroes and special abilities. Like any small child, I wanted super-heroes to be real. I had devoted hours out of the day reading them and trying to draw the scenes on notebook paper. I soon started my own collection. I believe that collecting comics over the years has influenced a creative aspect towards my writing. The mixture of art and dialogue within the pages embedded a since of creativity that I use today in my own creative writing. The various points of view illustrated by the characters were demonstrated to me in comics. The displays of interior and exterior monologues were made known to me as well.
Comics also helped progress my reading abilities. If there was a word or a phrase in the dialogue that I did not comprehend, I always asked my brother to explain it to me. Of course, there were things that he did not understand as well or know how to pronounce. If that happened, I could always turn to my other brother or my sister. I do believe that comic books have taken part in my reading and writing style. I owe a lot to them.
Here is a link I came across that talks about how Comic Books Influence Culture

One instrument that I believed help further my skills at reading and writing was the Tiger Quiz Wiz console. It was an electronic gaming device that had hundreds of booklets to help teach children about various things. It was not too in-depth. Some of the booklets and cartridges were for video games and movies. It came out in the early nineties and was an updated version of the Coleco Quiz Wiz from the early eighties. I had received one for my birthday and I had played it for a long time that day. A lot of the questions it asked I had no idea about what the answer might be, but that was okay because I was learning. Any time a right answer was put in there was a voice that exclaimed “right” with a hint of enthusiasm. A nice melody chime accompanying the “right” sounded afterwards, reinforcing the good job I did. If I selected a wrong answer there was a firm “no” that came before a really annoying buzzer noise. It was one of my first multiple choice tests that I ever came across and enjoyed. My favorite set of booklets was my Star Wars Trilogy. Most booklets or sets came with 1,001 questions. It gave me plenty of time to learn patience and take my time with multiple choice tests. I hated getting that annoying buzzer sound.

During the early years of Junior High I was introduced to the game Risk. For anyone who has never played Risk, it is one of those games that kept a person up till five in the morning. It was a game of world domination. My brother and I, along with our friends, would devote entire weekend nights playing. The game required a bit of strategy to play. While playing, I had to assess situations and make difficult decisions that would play significant parts in the future. No move was made without calculating every possible outcome. After that, it was a matter of hoping my opponents would make errors in their judgments. Even though I spent endless hours playing Risk, I had developed analytical skills that I use today. *FYI the key to winning is taking control of Australia.

Another contribution to my writing and reading development was the introduction of the typewriter. My father had purchased a typewriter when he was going through college. He, like any other person, had to write papers during his college education. After college, my father rarely used his typewriter and eventually put it away in his closet. Some years later while helping him clean out his closet I came across his typewriter. He said I could have it and I started typing away. I really didn’t write anything worth noting. I just typed anything that came into mind. The thing that sticks out the most in my mind is how the keys would get stuck together if I started typing to fast or hit two at once. I also had a lot of trouble with the ink ribbon. Making sure it was on straight and that it was not drooping. Later, my family decided to join the 20th century and buy a computer. I’m not sure what kind it was, but it had Windows 95 on it, along with Microsoft Word. I had already had some practice with typing thanks to the typewriter, and then I continued to progress with my writing on the PC. Without these experiences I believe that my skills as a writer and a reader would not be as adequate as they are today.