Robert Fields:  

Life Note: E-mail me at rfields56 (at) aol.com == Summary == Former nerd finds a hole in his heart and gets it fixed. Then discovers that the physical hole in his heart was a metaphor for his life. So he searches for himself first in the music clubs of L.A. in the early 80's, then joins an actualization cult/education organization. In the meanwhile, he gets caught in the post-Cold War collapse of the defense industry and is layed off from a couple of different companies. He rediscovers his spirituality, meets his future wife and settles down and raises a wonderful family. My more conventional bio reads more like this: I'm now retired, but am a social media publisher of a weekly Jewish community events newsletter. I've worked on some pretty interesting scientific and engineering programs over the years. At TRW, I worked on image processing systems software for satellite ground stations for Landsat, the Space Telescope and other fun stuff. I then moved into 3D computer graphics and started working on computer-aided design and engineering systems (CAD/CAE). With the advent of Windows systems, I refocused on user-interfaces on engineering systems and database management systems. Last fifteen years were in software quality assurance (testing). I've been through the usual bunch of layoffs, but have survived due to moral support of family (and headhunters). Back in 1981, I discovered a blood-pressure problem (190/0) that turned out to be a hole in my left-aorta ventrical valve. I had open-heart surgery to put in a mechanical valve, and have been fine ever since. I celebrated 20 years of my new life in 2001. I hope for it to last for another 40-50 years. During the late 80's, I was involved with what some people considered a cult, the Summit Organization (sort of like EST). [I've created a "college" site on CM for them.] It was a great educational organization focusing on communication and relationships. One of the side benefits of this, I realized how important my spirituality is to me. I got involved in various Jewish organizations in Los Angeles, met my wife, and have continued on a path of spiritual education and celebration. I spent four-years involved in Y-Indian Guides with my three Little Braves: Clever Moose, Clever Fox and Clever Lion. And I'm Clever Bear. My harmony-singing wife had gone along with the Indian names and named herself Clever Bird. Then on to Cub Scouts. It was a great adventure and the twins excelled. They waited 'til 2010 to join Boy Scouts ( after their Bar Mitzvah in Fall 2009). The have been doing great and one completed his Eagle. All the boys excel academically at school and music (piano and strings - 2 violins & 1 cello) playing in the local community youth orchestra. They do grow up - my oldest son is graduating high school this year (valedictorian) and going off to Brown University to study psychology, philosophy, music and film - and who knows what else. I was diagnosed as Adult ADD a few years back, which explains a lot of things in my life. Hopefully, with coaching and meds, I can take a little better control of my life. And, I can see it in my kids. Knowing more about ADHD from both sides helps us to cope better as a family with this stressful condition. Recently, in 2004, my Dad died. We spent a lot of time with him over the last 3 years while he's been in-and-out of hospitals. I'm glad that it's over, but I miss our phone calls every week talking about the family, and kissing him on the forehead. He was a very good, honest, and highly respected man. He was very modest about himself and his accomplishments and history. So, I'm starting to write an obituary of him, just like the one's they put in the newspaper for famous (?) people. And then, old age set in for me in 2008 - I had a total hip replacement for my left hip! Cartilage just wore out for no apparent reason. Surgery was easy, but complications due to a hematoma and clotting. My mom passed in 2016, having moved to an independent living retirement home in Poway to live near my brother's family. == School == I grew up in Fresno, California, the pathway to Yosemite. I started out there at Wolters Elementary for K - 4. The only teachers I remember were Mrs. Myers (1st), Mrs. Orozco (2nd) and Mrs. Dixon (4th). I had a great time there! I went to Robinson Elementary only for summer school 1966. Did Y-Indian Guides and Cub Scouts. And, I went to religious school at Temple Beth Israel. Hi to Dale Scott and Evo Bluestein (from 4th grade). We moved to Glendale in 1966 where I started at Eugene Field Elementary (no longer existing - torn down in the 80's for condos!). The next year I was at Mark Keppel Elementary. I had Miss Shapiro (5th) and Mrs. McVay (6th). I continued in religious school at Temple Sinai of Glendale and was confirmed in 1972. I did the Jr High thing at Toll. T'was the highlight of my school life. Played string bass in the award-winning orchestra (Mr. Cate), and was marched around the blacktop by our Marines-style P.E. coaches. I was in Boy Scouts during my elementary and jr high years in Glendale with troops 111 (Falcon Patrol) and 117 (Flying Tigers and the disallowed name of Phantom Patrol). At Hoover I dropped music to focus on my future architecture education, and took three years of drafting. What a waste of electives! I never did become an architect, but I still love architecture. Otherwise, I did the usual college-prep classes. Most of my classes were with the same classmates, because we were all "tracked" back then. I didn't take advantage of any of the extracurricular activities at Hoover, but was very involved with a couple of Jewish youth groups: Glen-Teens at the local temple, and Ben Mar Hills AZA (B'nai Brith Youth Org). And, I did get into Architecture school at Cal Poly SLO. During the summers and vacations of my Hoover years, I worked for my Dad at Poppy-Phillips Food Co, in the chicken biz (1971-1974). I spent a lot of time at the beach on the weekends, listening to America Top 40 on the radio. I did take a little time off and went to some summer camps. See my list of schools under "Where I've Been" for some of them. == College == I started at Cal Poly as an Architecture major. I really, r...Expand for more