Despite hailing from a rural state, I grew up in the city. Yes, there are such things as urban kids in North Dakota, though not on the same level as individuals hailing from Chicago or New York.
Though I was quite good at athletics (I could run a dash faster than any member of the track team in high school and that really upset the track coach), trials of my personal physical endurance do not interest me in the least. In high school, coursework and science fair took the place of a job. Both activities filled my technical needs. On a personal front, I looked to the arts rather than sports for a non-technical alternative. Theatre, photography, painting, and music provided a creative outlet and served to balance my life. In addition, I was a avid role-gamer and gamemaster who tried to synthesize all of my creative sides and technical aspects into each and every session. At the time, greater personal challenges were embodied in the intellectual forums of the arts and gaming, not the physical playing fields of tennis, football, or basketball.
Today, I tend to favor creative interests that involve technical attributes. Photography is art blended with technical mastery and skill. Model railroading is painting and sculpture wrapped in engineering. Even video production (my educated but not chosen vocation) combines the artistry of film-making with the skills of signal manipulation and processing. I enjoy all three, and each fills a void when needed.
Though I have grown older, my feelings have not changed. Let someone else climb the mountain; I’ll check out the town.
