Bill Parrette:
CLASS OF 1971
Talawanda High SchoolClass of 1971
Oxford, OH
Miami UniversityClass of 1975
Oxford, OH
Stewart Junior High SchoolClass of 1967
Oxford, OH
Christ Lutheran SchoolClass of 1965
West covina, CA
Bill's Story
Hi!
Thank you for taking the time to stop by & read my "story" here at Classmates.com.
Life:
"This ain't a [story] for the broken-hearted
No silent prayer for faith-departed ..."
For those of you who have known me over the years, I'm still pretty much the "shy & quiet" guy you remember. In social situations, I'm still that "fellow back in the corner" watching all of the personal interactions going on -- filing, filtering, categorizing, comparing, extrapolating ... all in an attempt to verify my personal "world view" ... all the while hoping that someone will come over & start talking with me.
There is one difference; somewhere along my life-path I found that I had a bit of talent for writing:
"I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd
You're gonna hear my voice
When I shout it out loud ..."
This talent, of course, gave me a "captive audience" & the ability to "bare my soul" to people in a way that I could never do in person. And, so, I find that I have a sort of "Jekyll & Hyde" personality. As a participant or guest, my shy & quiet "Dr. Jekyll" comes to the surface. But, as a leader or person-in-charge, my outgoing & aggressive "Mr. Hyde" comes out. Whether it's teaching a UNIX class or playing the drums, I become a very different person -- a sort of dual personality.
"It's my life, It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive ..."
And, what better topic to write about -- something I know a great deal about -- me. Here at Classmates.com I am trying to focus my bio on the details of Schools, Colleges, & Work. As for my life bio -- to avoid duplication -- I encourage you to visit my own personal Web-site. It has a "personal page" where I tell you a little about myself -- maybe more than you really want to know. ;-) I write about:
- My personal history
- My interest in music
- A little about my family
- My explorations with Parkinson's Disease
- Some of my "fringe" interests
- My e-mail & USENET "signatures."
On my professional page, I write about my life as a trainer & my passion for UNIX, C, and the Apple Macintosh:
- On being a Knowledge Transference Engineer
- My appreciation of the beauty of UNIX
- C being the "perfect" programming language
- My Macintosh Computers
- My opinions on Object Oriented anything
- My interest in an Operating System called Plan 9
- My e-mail & USENET signatures
Google me -- I'm not that hard to find!
"(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said, 'I did it my way'
I just wanna live while I'm alive ..."
So, both here at Classmates.com & at my personal Web-site, "My heart is like an open highway" or (as I said earlier) I "bare my soul." And, (as several people have told me) you may learn more than you really wanted to know. All-in-all, I'm really just enjoying these creative outlets that give me the opportunity to do one of the things that I like doing -- while I am still able to do it -- writing!
"It's my life ..."
All visitors welcome, continue reading at your own risk, keep Shinin' On, give someone you know a Beeig Hug, know that 42 really *is* the answer, understand that it's spelled UNIX not Eunuchs, & Solipsism really does make sense when you understand Pantheism & are able to grok... read on & I'll see you in "12."
School:
And, so it starts:
My schooling started at Christ Lutheran Elementary School in West Covina, CA -- some memories: reciting the Pledge of Allegiance every morning while the flag was raised; Dodge-ball; the second-grade teacher patrolling the "lavatories" making sure us boys weren't doing anything we shouldn't; my first kiss from a pretty girl in a red dress; a sixth-grade class of only four students; the beginning of a love affair with books; ...
I started Junior-High in West Covina but, within the first month of classes, was transplanted to College Corner, IN. We soon moved to Oxford where I attended Stewart Junior-high. Many memories: Stairs, lots of stairs; a growing interest in science & math; lockers lining the hallways; gym class & my first group shower; girls & a beautiful, young English teacher; starting an interest in rock 'n roll; getting into a fight because I tried to break up a fight; ...
But, like most others, my best memories are still of "the best days of our lives" at Talawanda High.
I didn't have many friends in High-school. And, those that I did have, like me, tended toward the techno-geek side of the scale. I didn't start dating until I was a senior -- even then the dates were few & far between -- I had no real girlfriend. I would have liked things to be different.
It didn't take too long to notice that the "jocks" got most of the girls. So, I tried playing football & running track (the two sports where they took *everyone* who tried out) & it did get me a little more attention. But, the "shy and quiet"-ness in me seemed to always prevail.
I should have listened to my father when he told me to take a typing course. I said, "Dad, that's a 'girls class!' If I had only known how important keyboards would be later in my life. It would have also been more beneficial to pay attention in English class. Having been published (and continually writing book-length e-mails), the writing/editing process would have been easier if I had studied English a little harder.
Not only English class, but Spanish class as well! Having visited Santiago, Chile to meet some 'Net-friends, it would have been so much more useful & fun to be able to speak the language.
As much as teachers like Mr. Martino tried to make me believe that my study habits wouldn't let me get through college (there may be a tiny bit of truth there), I will always be thankful to teachers like Ms. Rosenberg, Mr. Hawley, Ms. Albaugh, & others who tried their darndest to make the classes I attended interesting & sometimes even fun!
My growing interest in rock 'n roll & a used set of drums got me into a band. Music became such an important part of my life that it interrupted my college career (I'll finish college some day -- I promised my father that I would). Although I had an an appreciation of many different kinds of music, my favorite band was Grand Funk Railroad. GFR's drummer, Don Brewer, was my favorite drummer & his style was one I tried most to learn from & imitate. It turned out that my "geek-ability" & my love of GFR allowed me to eventually meet & become friends with Don. And, because of this friendship, I have been known to travel across the country to catch a GFR show to this day.
All things considered, high school memories are pleasant. So much so that I still feel 18 years old at times (most of the time? :-) something my two children probably regret). If it wasn't for a challenge in my life (called Parkinson's Disease (diagnosed 1995)), I would probably ...Expand for more
be thinking & acting like -- albeit with a little more confidence -- an 18 year old, too. And, reaching the half-a-century mark (08/2003) wouldn't seem so bad.
College:
I *still* haven't used calculus in my work or my life! Why was it required for the Systems Analysis major? :-)
My college memories are a little less vivid. As in high school, I should have paid more attention in the Freshman English classes. It would have turned out to be so useful these past twelve years. My one English class memory that I will always be thankful for is the reading/ report-writing assignment on Heinlein's Stranger In a Strange Land. It is still my favorite book of all time & I still read it once every other year or so.
I think I would have had more memories had I lived on-campus in a dorm. Being a "townie," I spent way too much time playing cards & such in the Commuter Lounge. One of my first "real" dates was from here with Sandy; my first "real" girlfriend was from here with Gail; & too many other women I lusted for were commuters also.
The two non-commuter women I will always remember are Cathy & Carol. Cathy was a Systems Analysis major as well & lived in the same dorm as a friend's girlfriend who introduced me to her. I helped with some of her homework and it took a while but I was able to work up the courage to ask her out. Cathy looked at me for a minute, got up, & said "let's go for a walk." On our short walk around campus she "let me down" easier than any other woman I have ever known. She told me that she liked me as a friend but not as a "boyfriend." She even told me that she was more into the "jock" type of guy. She wanted to remain friends, she just didn't want a dating-relationship.
Carol was the vocalist in a band I was playing drums in. She had a hippie-like beauty that just drove me wild. Being a year or two older, I don't think she saw herself dating an underclassman. I sometimes wonder what might have happened after she hooked me up with her little sister. :-)
My biggest regret in college is switching majors at the end of my sophomore year. I started out in Engineering Technology because of an interest in electronics. But, when I started taking computer-oriented classes, my future-seeing light bulb popped on & I switched to Systems Analysis. After four years I didn't have enough credits in either major to graduate. The band I was in sent out the "call to rock 'n roll," I quit college, & I tried to make a go of it in the local music scene.
My father went to great lengths to insure that I would have the money (i.e. grants & loans & such) to be able to go to college. Before he passed, I promised him I would finish college. I had better get my butt in gear. 2003 puts me at 50 years old & time is growing shorter every day.
As you can see, most of my college memories revolve around non-class topics. I can't think of a class or professor that really made a big impression on me. Hmmmmmm ...
Workplace:
I had high hopes for the band. I still have fantasies of the screaming fans, the power of the music & more. Perhaps I can relive some of those thoughts with my son, Mark, who is a vocalist & has been in a few bands. I try to help him out when I can.
All good things must come to an end. And, so it is with "garage bands." In 1976 I was living at home with no income & a marriage looming on the horizon. So, I took my first programming job with the Palm Beach Company. Being my first job, I found corporate politics were a sad reality.
My second job was with the Cincinnati Post newspaper. No politics here -- there were only three other employees besides me. I loved this job because it let me get into systems programming in addition to applications. But the Printers & Pressmen Union had other ideas. Because of a contract clause, I was "selected" to join the union. Needless to say (but I'm going to say it anyway) I think unions (in most all cases in the modern technology-oriented world) are a hideous sore on the employment-body that just doesn't seem to go away.
My third job was what I always wanted to do: write system-level software like operating systems, compilers, editors, & such. Zonic Technical Labs was making a small microcomputer system for its client -- Reynolds+Reynolds. Reynolds needs became so great that they started to overwhelm Zonic so a joint venture was formed called ReyZon Computers. Eventually, the whole operation was bought out by Reynolds & my first real techno-geek job lasted for five years. This job was one of my favorites, but also one of my saddest when R+R decided to thin out the staff as the operation was relocated to Dayton.
The next two years might be considered my nomadic years as I wandered somewhat aimlessly between three different jobs in a variety of industries: machine-tool software, device driver debugging, & contract COBOL programming.
And then, in 1985, something wonderful happened. I found a little start-up company that was going through its own sort of nomadic experience at the same time. Due to a few contracts with the IRS, this little company finally settled in the UNIX training industry. The "little company" was called Information Technology Development Corporation -- or I.T.D.C. For 10 exquisite years I came to know, understand, & lovingly embrace the life of a "stand-up" trainer who was able to geek-out about the UNIX operating system in front of a live audience -- a classroom full of adult students -- who (usually) wanted to be there & listen to what I had to say!
Over the past 16 years (1985 thru 2002) I came to know a lot about the UNIX operating system, the C language & more! I also found out that I had a knack for transferring this knowledge to others. During this span of years, I worked for three companies:
1985 - 1995: ITDC -- Although I had some UNIX & C experience with other jobs, it was here that I got "thrown in -- feet first." Lots of firsts: first time travelling alone, in an airplane, loosing my luggage, & first time public speaking a.k.a. training! I still remember crying while reading the student's reviews of my first class, but I couldn't quit. Something about the experience just felt so right. Instead of "sinking to the bottom of the pool," I "bobbed up to the top" & started happily "swimming forward" "without looking back!" It also exposed certain "control issues" I have -- especially as related to my creative efforts writing training material & designing reference guides & such.
1996 - 1998: .EDUnix -- This was my attempt at striking out on my own & forming my own company. It was a great experience, & I learned a lot, but I found my control issues extended to running a business, too.
1999 - 2002: Batky-Howell -- A great group of people who thought about training the same way I did. To this day, I think that they are one of the best training companies around & I could have stayed there until I retired. But, the U.S. economy had other ideas ...
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