My dad was a an original Silicon Valley engineer. Except when we moved to Palo Alto in 1966, he was just a guy with a math degree from MIT who knew how to program computers. There wasn't so much specialized terminology in those days and computers filled rooms the size of the Monta Vista High School gym.
We moved to Cupertino in 1973, so he could work at Four Phase Systems on Tantau Ave. There were more orchards than computers in (what was still called) Santa Clara Valley then. After Motorola bought Four Phase, he worked for them until he launched his own "start up" Lifetime Software in the 1990s.
Now both my dad and the Santa Clara Valley he knew are gone. Living in Maine and Indiana in the last 15 years of his life he watched all aspects of computer progress with great interest. He died with a brand new iPhone in his pocket, having sent his signature short funny emails to many friends and family that morning. He embraced Facebook and had connected with old friends that way.
This poem is for my dad, who wrote at the computer and with a pencil every day, who went on long walks, bike rides, played the cello and wondered about faith. Happy Father's Day Jim Brown from someone who loves you in Cupertino.
"Self Portrait" by Polish poet Adam Zagajewski
translated by Clare Cavanagh
Between the computer, a pencil, and a typewriter half my day passes.
Read the rest at:
http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15866#sthash.gay7iwdx.dpuf
