Hi Paul, thanks for talking with me today. I know you teach with the Senior Computer Tech Center (SCTC) here: How long have you been a computer geek? What got you into computers?

When I was growing up, my family didn’t have a lot of money but I wanted to go to college. I took college prep courses throughout high school figuring I’d graduate, get a job, and save money to go. Well, that didn’t work out so well, then one day some buddies said “Hey, we’re going down to the recruiter’s office, wanna go?!” and the next thing I know I’m signed up for the US Air Force! It was there that I got my electronics training—I wanted to be an electrical engineer, you see—and when I got out IBM was looking for people with electronics backgrounds to start working on their new computer systems.

IBM sent me back to school to learn the real nuts and bolts, bit by bit, of how computers worked, so that’s how I went from electronics to computers. Even though I was working on mainframes and hardware, I bought one of the early personal computers for my home and got really interested in PCs.

So, what did you do at IBM? Are you in the Quarter-Century Club?

Oh, yes, I sure am! I When I first started out I was working on these big old mainframe computers in Chicago and then ended up in New York for a while working with the engineers. After a while, IBM moved me out here. I retired after 30 years of working for IBM, but I was only fifty-five at the time, so I tried out a bunch of other things afterward: working for Circuit City, doing contract computer work and consulting, teaching at Front Range Community College and even working to install laptops in the City of Longmont’s police cars!

How did you end up getting involved with the SCTC here at the Longmont Senior Center?

When I retired from all my jobs—IBM, Front Range, the City of Longmont—I was looking for things to do. I went to a senior expo and the folks from SCTC—it was called SeniorNet back then—had a table. I was aware of SeniorNet from my Front Range teaching days because they had a room at the college and I had thought “Yeah, computers for old people, right…”. Well, I realized by that time that I was an old person, too! Haha! I talked to the group at the display and they said “Come be a coach!” and the rest is history.

Was there a stigma around that for you? Did you have reservations about being involved with a group that was ‘computers for old people’?

Oh, no. And I’ve changed that since to ‘senior citizen,’ but no. I’ve noticed since I first joined that the computer literacy of our students is a lot higher today, too. In fact, we don’t even have to teach our very basic computer classes; everyone knows how to sign in, use a keyboard and mouse, stuff that was still foreign not too long ago. And I believe that thinking things through, solving problems, that’s what keeps your mind working and keeps you young. It’s a benefit for us in the SCTC as well as our students.

Do you enjoy teaching?

Oh, yes. I love it, I really do. Every time I teach a class, I learn more than the class does so I’m learning new things all the time when we interact with the students—it keeps my mind very active. And I like to tell jokes to break up the class and keep things interesting. I think people learn more when they’re relaxed. So, when I teach at SCTC I usually start my class with a joke about getting older.

Can you tell us one of your jokes?

I spent a couple weeks at my granddaughter’s a couple weeks ago and asked if I could use her newspaper. She said “Oh, Grandpa, newspapers are so old fashioned. Here use my iPad.” That fly never knew what hit it!

Haha! That’s a good one. I wish we had time to fit in so many more but our time is up today. Anything thoughts you’d like to leave with us?

Stay inquisitive. Keep questioning “why” no matter what it’s about, no matter what the subject is. To me, being old is a mind thing, not an age thing. Age is just a number, and being old is a mental thing. If you decide you’re never going to be old, go for it. Oh, and if you’re interested in computers, we’ve got a class for that! 

Thank you, Paul! For more information about the classes, drop-in labs, lectures, presentations, and other SCTC offerings, visit pages XX-XX.