Digital Native

When looking back, I initially though my technological history was insignificant. Then, I remembered the time I would spend with my father, when he returned from his overseas deployments with the US military. No wonder I am an Apple toting, convention going, gadget collecting, digital native.
It all started with Tang. Yes, it is an acquired taste, and I acquired it well before starting kindergarten. Although I have faint memories, the holes are filled in by my parent's stories. Now imagine a little, pigtailed, Chinese girl, sitting on the couch with her father playing Super Mario Bros on the NES. We were good too, heavily leaning right and often flicking the controller to help Mario makes those jumps. All the while, not trying to knock over the pitcher of Tang or the sauce pan filled with sautéed kerneled corn. (We ate right out of the pot, to the horror of my mother.)
Later, my fathers digital prowess taught young Jessica basic DOS mainframe prompts to access some favorite games: Weltris (3D Tetris, by the same inventor), snake, and a Gorilla game that resembles Dome Wars (you input speed and angle of trajectory or defeat the opposing gorilla, atop of a city skyline). Ah the blue screen and white text.
Then during one more overseas deployment, in the age of dial-up, the protege surpassed the master, right when AOL was climbing to its prime. I loved spending weekday afternoons (after homework) on AIM or customizing my geocites website. Then on weekends I would spend time with my friends at the mall (like every good California middle schooler) sipping on my hot chocolate from Starbucks. Waiting for a buzz on my friends pager, alerting me of my ride home.
Now, I'm reflecting the good old days of innocent digital acquisition, typing on my phone, while exercising on a bicycle at the gym.