Willard MacDonald’s Mother
When I was about six years old, a family moved in next door. They had a son named Willard MacDonald, and like me, he was interested in electronics. It was no surprise that we became best friends.
Two years later, they moved a few miles away, allowing for frequent visits. Unfortunately, two years later, they moved to Lexington, Massachusetts, so that the father could run a company. Fun side note. Do you recall the “I’ve fallen and cannot get up” commercial? The company that he worked for made the same product, but ten years prior.
I live in San Diego, California, and we took trips to see each other about every two years. Each one was a grand adventure.
Fast forward to college, and I decided to attend WPI in Worcester, Massachusetts. This was because (at the time), the California universities were dramatically underfunded and accepted twice the freshmen they could handle. Half flunked out by their sophomore year. Why, yes indeed, I wondered which side of that coin I would end up on. Off to Worcester.
In my freshman year, I visited my friend. They lived in a massive house that was constructed in the 1800s. What a fantastic structure to explore, and we had a great time reconnecting. However, there was something out of place, which all these years later is still stuck deep inside my bonkers mind.
It was just an old computer. A first-generation IBM PC with a green screen in the middle of the living room on a tiny table. During the day, Willard’s mother turned it on and ran an ancient word processing program. It just sat there all day. Keep in mind that computers used to be kept on desks because they were so valuable. Side note: this looked exactly like the scene at the end of the movie Stand by Me with Richard Dreyfuss.
As I walked by, I thought, “odd,” and my friend explained, “My mother is an author.” “Oh.”
Thought the day she would do various household tasks and occasionally type a sentence or two. Curiosity got to me, so I asked her about what she was doing. She told me that she was writing a book and provided no other details. I did not want to be a pest, so I only read part of a paragraph as she spoke. Two people were talking. My guess is a fiction book.
The reason this thought has stuck in my head is her technique. Creativity strikes in many forms, and this is one method. In life, the trick is to find the process that makes a person the most effective. This also means being open to new techniques, experimenting, and changing our ways.
Since she was clearly writing (making progress), her method must be effective, and therefore good (at least for her). And in some ways, I use a variation of this method. While walking or biking, I occasionally take notes. I also keep a notepad next to my bed for the same task. Granted, reading my sleepy handwriting the next day is quite challenging. It is even more difficult to decode the meaning behind my words.
Computers have changed since then, and it is now possible to have a powerful word processor on a tablet computer. This allows any author to write whenever they feel like it. I think that method would enable great creativity, but there is a subtle difference.
The green screen just sat there in the middle of the room. It challenged my friend’s mother to write every time she passed, like one of those inspirational posters. A big part of the creative process is gaining motivation. So, maybe there was more to the process.
Well, how about an experiment? I have an older computer that I use for installing programs I do not want on my main computer. So, I moved it downstairs and set it on a side table. It still had MS Word on it, and I loaded an article I recently started. (Look for it in about two weeks, tentatively titled “More AI YouTube Junk”)
Once set up, I walked away. Half an hour later, I happened to walk by, and there was a blank screen. Screen saver! Bonehead. I deactivated it, and then when I walked by again, there was another blank screen. Power saver! Double-bonehead. I turned off that feature.
The buzz had gone, so I restarted the experiment the next morning. (Yes, my wife asked why the ugly old computer was there. Yes, she thought the experiment was silly. Yes, she reminded me that I have an iPad. Yes, she still shook her head.) During the day, I would walk by and occasionally type a few sentences.
I ran my experiment for another day and then examined the results. I wrote two lousy paragraphs, making this experiment a failure. Still, it was fun/important to explore my creative side, which led to a new experiment.
I downloaded a free word processor for my iPad. Wow, it was a pain getting my document into this new program. (They expected a cloud-based file system.) I kept the iPad with me all day long and forced myself to use it a few times. The results were mediocre—another failure.
Still, this experiment was valuable. I got to see how two different approaches worked and learned more about my creative side. I plan further experiments by keeping a notepad with me to record more creative thoughts. So stay tuned.
Mmm, no, that is not the end of this article.
Despite my “experiments,” that green screen is still stuck in my head. It is calling to me. “Dude, you missed the point. Put more brain-time into this.” That’s where I’m stuck. I know there is more. That green screen is calling me out. “Be more creative. Challenge yourself. Do more with LIFE!!!”
Alright, message received. Now all I have to do is decode the message.
You’re the best -Bill
October 22, 2025
Two years later, they moved a few miles away, allowing for frequent visits. Unfortunately, two years later, they moved to Lexington, Massachusetts, so that the father could run a company. Fun side note. Do you recall the “I’ve fallen and cannot get up” commercial? The company that he worked for made the same product, but ten years prior.
I live in San Diego, California, and we took trips to see each other about every two years. Each one was a grand adventure.
Fast forward to college, and I decided to attend WPI in Worcester, Massachusetts. This was because (at the time), the California universities were dramatically underfunded and accepted twice the freshmen they could handle. Half flunked out by their sophomore year. Why, yes indeed, I wondered which side of that coin I would end up on. Off to Worcester.
In my freshman year, I visited my friend. They lived in a massive house that was constructed in the 1800s. What a fantastic structure to explore, and we had a great time reconnecting. However, there was something out of place, which all these years later is still stuck deep inside my bonkers mind.
It was just an old computer. A first-generation IBM PC with a green screen in the middle of the living room on a tiny table. During the day, Willard’s mother turned it on and ran an ancient word processing program. It just sat there all day. Keep in mind that computers used to be kept on desks because they were so valuable. Side note: this looked exactly like the scene at the end of the movie Stand by Me with Richard Dreyfuss.
As I walked by, I thought, “odd,” and my friend explained, “My mother is an author.” “Oh.”
Thought the day she would do various household tasks and occasionally type a sentence or two. Curiosity got to me, so I asked her about what she was doing. She told me that she was writing a book and provided no other details. I did not want to be a pest, so I only read part of a paragraph as she spoke. Two people were talking. My guess is a fiction book.
The reason this thought has stuck in my head is her technique. Creativity strikes in many forms, and this is one method. In life, the trick is to find the process that makes a person the most effective. This also means being open to new techniques, experimenting, and changing our ways.
Since she was clearly writing (making progress), her method must be effective, and therefore good (at least for her). And in some ways, I use a variation of this method. While walking or biking, I occasionally take notes. I also keep a notepad next to my bed for the same task. Granted, reading my sleepy handwriting the next day is quite challenging. It is even more difficult to decode the meaning behind my words.
Computers have changed since then, and it is now possible to have a powerful word processor on a tablet computer. This allows any author to write whenever they feel like it. I think that method would enable great creativity, but there is a subtle difference.
The green screen just sat there in the middle of the room. It challenged my friend’s mother to write every time she passed, like one of those inspirational posters. A big part of the creative process is gaining motivation. So, maybe there was more to the process.
Well, how about an experiment? I have an older computer that I use for installing programs I do not want on my main computer. So, I moved it downstairs and set it on a side table. It still had MS Word on it, and I loaded an article I recently started. (Look for it in about two weeks, tentatively titled “More AI YouTube Junk”)
Once set up, I walked away. Half an hour later, I happened to walk by, and there was a blank screen. Screen saver! Bonehead. I deactivated it, and then when I walked by again, there was another blank screen. Power saver! Double-bonehead. I turned off that feature.
The buzz had gone, so I restarted the experiment the next morning. (Yes, my wife asked why the ugly old computer was there. Yes, she thought the experiment was silly. Yes, she reminded me that I have an iPad. Yes, she still shook her head.) During the day, I would walk by and occasionally type a few sentences.
I ran my experiment for another day and then examined the results. I wrote two lousy paragraphs, making this experiment a failure. Still, it was fun/important to explore my creative side, which led to a new experiment.
I downloaded a free word processor for my iPad. Wow, it was a pain getting my document into this new program. (They expected a cloud-based file system.) I kept the iPad with me all day long and forced myself to use it a few times. The results were mediocre—another failure.
Still, this experiment was valuable. I got to see how two different approaches worked and learned more about my creative side. I plan further experiments by keeping a notepad with me to record more creative thoughts. So stay tuned.
Mmm, no, that is not the end of this article.
Despite my “experiments,” that green screen is still stuck in my head. It is calling to me. “Dude, you missed the point. Put more brain-time into this.” That’s where I’m stuck. I know there is more. That green screen is calling me out. “Be more creative. Challenge yourself. Do more with LIFE!!!”
Alright, message received. Now all I have to do is decode the message.
You’re the best -Bill
October 22, 2025
