Wednesday, June 25, 1997
Was I Asleep Or Am
I Just Dense?
by Mike Meador
[email protected]
Being somewhat of a financial historian I have always been in awe of those whom I consider to be the truly great financiers in American history. Rockefeller foresaw the future importance of oil and single-handedly dominated an entire industry. Likewise, Henry Ford recognized the importance of the automobile and created the assembly line in the process ushered in the industrialization of the entire world. Warren Buffett saw the value of the stock market and taught the world how to invest. And alas, Bill Gates, a man very near my own age, made technology practical and galvanized a global phenomenon right under my very nose.
Now every day I ask myself, being intelligent enough at least to recognize what all these men have in common, what planet was I on while the technological revolution was being born? How did I miss every news report until Microsoft and Intel became giants? Was I outside playing basketball? Did I never see a single article in Popular Mechanics while sitting at the barber shop?
I remember every episode of M.A.S.H. I saw Return to Gilligan's Island. I feel so stupid. I missed the entire party. Everyone I know has a computer repair business now. You can learn by correspondence course from the same people who will teach you how to be a game warden. When the lady who used to work at my cleaners started one, I knew I was simply too late. I do own Intel now; I bought it two days before it was pronounced the debacle du jour on CNBC. [This is really true] I don't even type well. How did I miss it?