The Dragon's Cave - Tagged

I've been tagged by kathrishali to write 10 random interesting things about myself. Okay, here goes:

1. I've been a computer programmer since I was age 7, when my dad brought home that now-ancient Apple II computer with the black-and-green screen. He taught me how to set up, code, and run some simple programs in BASIC, and I was hooked from there on out.

2. Whenever I learn a new computer language, I never consider myself proficient in it until I use it to build some sort of a game. Thus, I have built games in BASIC, Logo, Visual Basic, Microsoft Access (using VBA), Java, and C++. Unfortunately, I have learned some other programming languages in my days where I discovered it was *impossible* to create any form of a game (i.e. COBOL, SAS, JCL). In my mind, if you can't program a game with it, it's not worth learning.

3. I've been a musician for most of my life. I sing, play the saxophone, direct congregational singing in church, have been a church choir director twice, and even served once as the music director for an entire stage production. I was in band, choir, marching band, and jazz band all through junior high, high school, and college.

4. I am very serious about the word 'love'. When I was a teen, I saw folks going around saying 'I Love You' to their girlfriend/boyfriend and then break up with them the next week. I promised myself I would never say it to a woman unless I truly understood it and meant it.

5. I was voted 'Babe Magnet with the Biggest Harem' by my fellow band members in high school, and 'Most Likely to Become a Minister' by my senior class.

6. I once broke a bone in my hand (boxer's fracture from accidentally running into the table), but didn't get it checked by the doctor until two days later. I took 2 high school final tests with a broken hand (I ended up doing one of them with my left hand because my right hand hurt so much).

7. I don't drink alcohol at all, but I am a root beer connoisseur.

8. I have loved stories about animals (anthro and normal) all my life. Some of my favorite stories when I was a child were Disney's Robin Hood, The Secret of Nimh, Watership Down, Where the Red Fern Grows (made me cry), most books by Jim Kjelgaard, and the entire Chronicles of Narnia Series.

9. I've been an amateur writer since I was a teen. I've written poetry and stories off an on for years. A poem I wrote about the last time I saw my grandmother before she died was submitted (without my knowledge) to the school poetry contest, where it won first prize. Just this past summer, my story 'Ruled by the Water' won 3rd prize in a short story contest.

10. I worked as an I.T. analyst for ExxonMobil for 3 years, my first job out of college. Though I was bored out of my mind and I switched careers after that, I did gain something very valuable from my experience. As part of employee development, the company sent me to a workshop where they analyzed what motivates me and helps me to feel passionate about what I'm doing. I discovered that I'm not motivated by money, power, fame, position, or anything like that. I am motivated by 1) the ability to make an impact, to make a difference, and 2) by the ability to impress others by what I do.