Chapter 1: The Spark of Interest

At just 13 years old, I discovered my passion for computers after visiting a friend's house. There, I encountered an Apple II and was instantly captivated. My curiosity led me to borrow a manual that introduced BASIC, which I eagerly studied, explaining to my father how fantastic it would be to own such a machine.

Initially, my father was not receptive to the idea. He argued about the cost and questioned the necessity of a computer. Undeterred, I continued to explore the manual and began writing small programs that my friend helped me run.

Later, while strolling through a department store with my dad, we stumbled upon an Apple II clone that was executing a simple BASIC program. The screen displayed a loop with the message "Buy me," accompanied by a price tag that seemed exorbitant at the time.

The exchange went something like this:

Me: "Dad, this is just like my friend's computer."

Father:

Me: "Look at this."

I interrupted the program using CTRL-BREAK, customized it to display my name instead of the store's, and executed it again.

Dad: "What did you just do?"

Me: "I made it show my name!"

Father: "What else can you do with it?"

I spent a few minutes showcasing my newfound skills, demonstrating various tweaks to the program, including low and high-resolution graphics. A store clerk stood nearby, visibly annoyed by our impromptu demonstration.

Salesperson: "I’ll need to get someone to fix this."

Me: "Fix the program?"

Seller: "What is a program?"

Me: "You mean the store's name on the display?"

I reverted the program back to its original state and reran it.

My father looked between me, the salesman, and the price tag.

Father: "How do I pay for this?"

Thus, the simple program I crafted—a few lines of Applesoft BASIC learned from a borrowed manual—became the catalyst that convinced my father to purchase my very first computer. This moment, although many years ago, remains etched in my memory as the beginning of my journey into programming and a cherished way to impress my dad.

Chapter 2: Convincing My Parents

In this chapter, we explore various strategies to persuade parents to invest in technology for their children.

This video discusses effective techniques to convince your parents to buy a computer, emphasizing the benefits and educational aspects of technology.

In another insightful video, the importance of demonstrating your passion for technology is highlighted, showcasing how to make a compelling case to parents for a gaming PC.