Well here I sit, June 20, 2008. I was born on June 20, 1963; today is my birthday, I am now 45 years old. Yippee fucken dodadeee. (Actually 44 years, 11 months, 30 days, 7 hours, and 15 minutes old at the time of the writing of this article, but who is counting. At 9:30pm I will actually be 45 years old.)

Where have 45 years gone? Well to be frank it is a blur. The time went by real fast. It is going by faster then ever now.

I grew up way too young. I enlisted in the United States Air Force / California Air National Guard at the ripe young age of 17 when I should have been in 12th grade in High School; I thought I knew it all.

I soon learned that I did not know squat. I was basically still a boy, who was forced to be a man by the choices I made. I wanted to grow up fast and I did.

By enlisting the way I did, I missed attending my Senior year at Chatsworth High School, (I took the GED and passed, which was an Air Force requirement absent a High School Diploma) I missed going to my High School Prom, I missed all of the things that a teenager of that age normally did at that age. Unlike some of my deadbeat friends who mooched off of their parents as long as they could, I took a burden off of my parents at an early age. It was a tough experience for a 17 year old kid.

The Air Force recruiter showed me an old fashioned reel movie like they used to have in school during my time, of bikini clad gals sitting around a pool, bowling alley’s, metal and wood shops, the Base Exchange, bars and dance clubs on base, on base housing, etc. I thought wow; I am going to a country club. The Air Force is great. I told my parents that it was going to be great. I actually believed that I was going to the place the recruiter showed me in the movie!

When I got to Basic Training in the wee hours in March 1981, boy did I get a surprise. All of the things I saw on the tape at the recruiters did exist; they forgot to tell me that it did not exist for me or the other new Airmen who were tortured that night, and for the next six weeks in Air Force Basic Training. Instead of a country club, I arrived in a living hell.

Don’t let anybody bullshit you into thinking that Air Force Basic Training is a summer camp or easy as pie. It was basically a psychological nightmare from hell that I would not want to wish on my worst enemy. It was physical as well, that was the easy part. The psychological bullshit that we were put through was without equal in my opinion. The Air Force wanted very smart individuals who could acclimate, think, and be a part of the most technologically advanced armed forces that our nation has. They weeded people out like they were growing in a field. They would ask the fuckup’s why they did not join the Marines, Army, or Navy. (I don’t want any shit about what we were asked in Basic; you know full well that your DI’s/TI’s talked shit about other branches of the military too!) People would just disappear from our Flight. Did I say it was a nightmare from hell? We had the ubiquitous suicide attempts, mental rejects and psych cases, medical fuckups, just like all of the other branches of the service.

However, I still count my blessings; The United States Air Force made me into a man. I will never forget my Air Force TI’s, especially Staff Sergeant Jenkins. Instead of being in 12th grade in March, 1981, I was in Air Force Basic Training, Flight 249, 3701st Squadron. I was NOT one of the lucky ones with an integrated Basic Training Squadron. (Men and Women in the Same Squadron) We were all men in the 3701st, and our TI’s (same as DI’s in other branches of the military) wanted us to win the best Squadron of the rotation which we did.

I am proud to be a veteran of the United States Air Force and the California Air National Guard; it is something that no one can ever take away from me!

The United States Air Force is always the first in battle and leads the way baby. “Death from Above.” Our Air Force pilots and missile men of the Triad, keep our nation safe. Don’t be afraid, your Air Force is awake tonight. (I must mention and thank the United States Navy as the 3rd Part of the Triad, they keep us safe as well! Hell I might as well go ahead and thank the proud members and veterans of the United States Marines, the United States Army, the United States Coast Guard, and the United States Civil Air Patrol; they all keep us safe as well!! God Bless America Baby! Love it or Leave it!

Anyway…… by the time I got out of Air Force Tech School, (at approx. 6 months my tech school was one of the longest in the U.S. Air Force at the time for enlisted men.) I had college credits whereas the people that I went to High School with were either just starting college, or still mooching off of their parents and smoking dope. Big Deal!

When I came home, I had a shaved head from the military, during a time when everyone had long hair. I was like a fish out of water. I wore my green fatigue pants, along with my combat boots, and a white t shirt, and promptly walked to the store and bought a six pack thinking, I am not the same; I wasn’t. Canoga Park, California did not change, I did.

To make a long story short, I began a first career upon my return from the Air Force, and going into the California Air National Guard, in Data Communications. I rose from an entry level Associate Engineer to Senior Engineer, and designed and implemented amongst the most complex Data Communications Networks that existed at the time in the world. My customers were a whose who of government, military, Fortune 500, computer companies, etc. To my friends from Micom Systems and Infotron Systems (The Infotron Group / Catch the Wave!) who may be reading this; do you remember the good old days of time division, and statistical multiplexors; Advanced Network Processors, HDLC, SNA/SDLC, Advanced Port Selectors, Mainframe and Mini-Computers, RS232, RS449, V.35? There was no 10bt, Novell, Ethernet, Arcnet, OC3, Internet, etc. Do you remember mainframes and min-computers from companies like; I.B.M, Digital Equipment Corporation, Honeywell, Burroughs, Hewlett Packard, Prime, CRAY, etc.? There were primitive personal computers from the likes of Timex (Sinclair), Apple, Digital Equipment Corporation, Tandy, etc. The I.B.M. PC and MSDOS were still wet dreams! CPM was the operating system of choice for PC’s at the time before MSDOS came out.

As a subcontractor for Bendix, I installed what was arguably the first real OSI network (precursor to the internet as we know it today) at NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California. We managed to interconnect a hodge podge of Digital Equipment Corporation PDP 1170’s-1178’s, DEC Vax’s, Hewlett Packard Mini’s, CRAY XMP, etc., to a single network running an OSI protocol that allowed the different computers to communicate with each other on a composite level for the first time. I used an old oscillator with a DB meter to determine that NASA has an obsolete wiring plant for the new 819.6kbps composite links that were necessary to interconnect the data PBX’s via 470 time division multiplexors. I determined that their wiring plant used untwisted pair rather then twisted pair, which resulted in cross coupling (capacitive and inductive reactance, a reactive component of electrical signals traveling through wire) of the 2 pair composite circuit, and which made it not work. I also found multiple bridge taps off of each circuit. (Parallel connections between tip and ring) I was able to use 900 ohm resistors to terminate the bridge taps, but the untwisted pair cable remained a problem. Because of my find, NASA through Bendix requested to my company at the time, that I be their dedicated on site Engineer. At the ripe age of 20 years old, I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, and opened Micom Systems Corporations first Service operation in Northern California, in Menlo Park, California, while I was still in the California Air National Guard.

I remember sitting at Apple Computer in Cupertino California with their guru’s in the middle of the night, installing one of the first data T1 networks (we used a proprietary 819.6kbps synchronous link between multiplexors instead of the now standard 1.544bps composite link for T1) between buildings for Micom and Apple Computer. They gave me an award for getting the dam thing to work. We spent many all nighters trying to get that network working. Again, I was there, I did it, and these are experiences that no one can take away from me. Big Deal.

It was my operation in Northern California, and I was way too young to appreciate the position I was given or that I was in. Hell if I knew that I was right in the middle of Silicon Valley when things really started popping in the computer industry, I would have bought stock and been a billionaire by now. Should of, could of, would of, right? Instead I did what most 20 year olds would do under the circumstances, I got a fancy condo in Menlo Park, just east of Standord University, I drove fancy cars, I rode fancy motorcycles, and I chased women!

While in the California Air National Guard, I was chosen by my unit, the 261st Combat Communications Squadron, 162nd Combat Communications Group, Air Force Communications Command, (the 261st CMBTS was the only Air Force CMBTS Squadron at the time that passed the Air Force Operational Readiness Inspection, either active duty, or reserve. This was a big deal!) to be a part of a special team that was given the honor of setting up communications for the STS 7 (Challenger) Space Shuttle Mission at Edwards Air Force Base, in conjunction with NASA and the United States Air Force.

I basically worked on the 7th Space Shuttle mission. Now considering the fact that there have been hundreds of Space Shuttle Missions since, to able to say that I worked on the 7th mission Space Shuttle mission is quite something since it was the beginning of the Space Shuttle program Again, I was there, I did it, and these are experiences that no one can take away from me. Big Deal.

My Air Force AFSC was 3ABR36251, Telephone Switching Equipment Specialist, Electro/Mechanical. (Now Obsolete) I was basically trained to install and maintain the equipment that existed inside telephone central offices to make telephones systems work. (This directly led to my first career in Data Communications.) Unfortunately, my actual combat communications squadron did not have Central Office equipment, so I got involved in many other types of networks through on the job training. I was involved in installing, testing, and setting up Calnet, and other complex networks, including some of the first devices (SF signaling units) that converted phone conversations from wire (tip and ring) to radio signals and back to wire again before cell phones existed or were invented. Again, I was there, I did it, and these are experiences that no one can take away from me. Big Deal.

During this time I went to College and onto to Law School immediately thereafter, with the intent of becoming an Attorney at Law.

After 4 years of utter hell working full time as a Senior Engineer, going to Law School at night, while raising 2 daughters as a single father, I finally graduated Law School, passed the bar on the first shot, and was admitted by the California Supreme Court, and the United States Court Central District to practice law, I became an Attorney at Law.

Well over a decade ago, unlike other bar passers who ordinarily get sworn in as new attorneys in a mass ceremony, I was given a special honor. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge, The Honorable Judge Phillip J. Argento, Pasadena Courthouse, closed his Courtroom in the middle of a weekday to swear me in as an Attorney at Law in the presence of my mother and my two daughters. This was a unique honor that Judge Argento bestowed upon my family and I, and that very few attorneys ever get to experience. (I heard that Judge Argento retired in August, 2005) I will never forget the look on my mothers face. I was proud to make her proud. It was my mother that instilled the instinct, and will to succeed in me. My daughters were proud but they did not really know the true meaning of what was happening, or at least this is what I think. Again, I was there, I did it, and these are experiences that no one can take away from me.

Looking back, my family and I sacrificed big time. My daughters grew up; I became a Grandfather, and hell, now I am 45 years old. Although I am getting old, my life glass is half full. I look forward to the future that life will bring to us. I am grateful and hopeful!

You may wonder why I keep writing “I was there, I did it, and these are experiences that no one can take away from me. Big Deal.” I will explain below.

I became an attorney at law to help people, and help people I do. Nothing makes me feel better then helping someone in need. Those who know me, especially my friends, clients, associates, and brothers, know that I am an upfront no BS kind of guy that is there for the people I care about.

On a daily basis I talk to, and help people who are injured, have had their lives turned upside down, and need someone to help them. Being a lawyer is a difficult and demanding profession. Being a Senior Engineer was easy in comparison, the computers and networks did not talk back at me like people do! In my profession people’s lives are on the line; it is a tough gig!

Sitting here reflecting on 45 years, my accomplishments, my regrets, and my life, I can quite frankly say that I have made the most out of 45 years. Yes I may have wasted some time on vacations and what not, (joke) but for the most part my life heretofore has been very busy, good, and rewarding.

A couple of pearls of wisdom I have learned over the years are; (1) You cannot take your money to the grave; (2) In the end it is your relationships with people that count in your life; (3) Live in the present moment, every second that passes is gone forever and you will never get them back; (4) The past is just that, the past, you cannot change the past, but you can live and change in the present; (5) Make each day count for something because it could be your last; (6) If you are a good person and you give what you have of yourself to people, you will be remembered in that way; if you are an asshole, you will be remembered as an asshole; and (7) One day you will have to answer to God for your deeds, have you spoken to God today?

I am not going to explain the above pearls of wisdom. If you don’t understand them, hopefully one day you will. Suffices is to say this is why I keep stating “I was there, I did it, and these are experiences that no one can take away from me. Big Deal.” In the end, the past is the past. I myself can and do remember that which I have done in the past. However, the past is gone, way gone, therefore it is no big deal! It is what I do now and in the future that counts.

I feel sorry for those of you who waste your life living in the past or in constant negativity. The future is here now. Maybe one day on your death bed you can or should contemplate your past life. It is good to contemplate, and learn from past mistakes. All human beings make mistakes right? I do not want to have any regrets on my death bed! I want to do the best that I can in my life, and be the best that I can be. No more, no less. Anything other then that is a waste of life the way I see it.

Yes, I know that there are some real miserable and despicable people in this world. I have actually met a couple, and have heard of others. Some of them may be reading this article right now. These are people who get off on hurting, threatening, or preying on other people; people who carry resentments; people who blame others for their miserable existence and choices; People who are sociopaths that do not belong in normal society like the rest of us; People that do not have a higher power in their life, people who belong in jail, who will end up in jail, or who will end up dead before their time, people who will someday have to answer to god for their despicable actions and lives, etc. These are people that I do not choose to associate with or to include in my life.

What is my point; DO ONE TO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE DONE TO YOURSELF! If you live by this simple rule, you will find that you will be a much happier person, and you will be a righteous person.

As for the next 45 years of my life, I plan on doing everything I can to be happy. What makes me happy? My family; my true friends and brothers; my relationships with people; helping people; riding my Harley Davidson; writing; GOD; work; and trying to be a good person in a pretty terrible world. I like to help the homeless and my fellow man in need whenever I can. Being of service to thy fellow man sure does feel good.

Am I perfect? Hell no. Have I made mistakes? Hell yes. If any human being can say that they are perfect and have not made mistakes then they are full of shit! What matters is what you do when you make a mistake!

What am I giving myself for my 45th birthday? A new tattoo and a new car! I will leave the car part for another article because I do not want to get started on the outrageous gas prices. As for the tattoo, well let’s just say that I have an appointment with one of the best tattoo artist in the world this weekend to get a killer tattoo which reflects the Kenpo in me. King Chow!

Be good everyone and God be with you. Oh yes, and thank you for reading my ramblings and contemplations, on this my 45th Birthday. Remember, make each day count, and help thy fellow human beings.

By Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © 2008