When I graduated from college, very few people had a personal computer. Instead, we had campus computer labs that required students to reserve space at designated workstations. At your allotted time, you would enter the lab with a dozen other people and then reference your assignments from 5.25” floppy disks.
Then, only a handful of teachers outside the computer department required that work be handed in digitally. Over the next couple of years, that would change dramatically.
I was not a fan of the computer lab or any project that required me to be there. I’m somewhat ashamed that I paid a friend to undertake numerous assignments due to my lack of interest for and incompetence in the digital world. That said, it’s not surprising that the only “D” I received in my entire school career was in “Intro to Computers.”
Once I graduated and entered the real world, I realized the computer revolution was something I should be a part of. I wasn’t interested in the programming end of things, but I could see that computers were overtaking most aspects of the business world. This position was reinforced by my disdain for manual labor as a career choice. I had painted houses as a summer job for several years, which convinced me that I would rather tax my brain than my body.
My first job after college was in sales. Sales seemed like an easy choice. I was personable and friendly, so how hard could it be? Well, it turns out that after a year of knocking on doors and getting rejected, my self-esteem wasn’t as strong as I initially believed.
My second job after college was at The Mountain Times. The owner gave me 20 hours a week to draw local political cartoons. During these 20 hours, I started looking over the graphic artists’ shoulders to see how they were digitally manipulating text and photos.
Before long, I was allowed to complete some minor tasks on those early Macintosh computers. I was initially intimidated, but my curiosity won out. I was all in within a week of my first foray into the desktop publishing world.
I immediately purchased every book I could find on operating systems, software programs, and computer hardware. I was obsessed with learning about computers and how they functioned. Before long, I knew how to utilize every piece of hardware and software in the building.
This desire to lord over the digital realm also crossed into other areas. When the first iPhone came out, I was waiting at the door to buy one. The same held true for the first iPad (which I still own today). My entire career has been immersed in Adobe’s Creative Cloud and Microsoft Office, along with a handful of proprietary software I’ve encountered.
Of course, when the internet arrived, I was also an early adopter. In fact, in the earliest years, I was the first person among my friend group who began sounding the alarms about the addictive quality of online scrolling because, God knows, I’ve done my fair share.
Looking back, it’s ironic that, for someone so opposed to a particular category, I ended up building my career and personal life around it. It’s funny how life throws your curveballs that way.
All in all, for someone my age, I have a highly competent understanding of the digital realm (a point recently reinforced when the new IT guy at my office complimented me on my networking skills). I hope to continue in that fashion well into my senior years when, as a second act, I’ll likely be manning the computer help desk at my appointed senior center.
This week’s feature, “Gladiator II,” is a stellar example of how second acts can sometimes rival their forebears in both quality and vision. While the sequel to the 20-year-removed “Gladiator” fails to meet the lofty heights of the original, it does do the film justice as a worthy contemporary.
Starring Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal, “Gladiator II” conjures up a scenario in which a relative of Maximus (Russell Crowe’s character from the original) carries on the warrior’s tradition of dominance in the Colosseum while trying to reignite Rome’s glory for its citizens.
It’s the time of year when the best films are finally being released, and this selection does not disappoint. Check this out if you’re in the mood for a fantastic period piece of epic warfare, vivid character portrayals, and a story worth diving into.
A resilient “B+” for “Gladiator II,” now playing in theaters everywhere.
Do you have a question or comment for Dom? You can email him at moviediary@att.net.
