It was at this desk that we first connected to the ‘Internet’. It was the mid 1980’s. I know it was after 1983 because my mom was gone. Well, gone in flesh and bone but not in spirit.
It was a time of bulky computer monitors that weighed more than a large bag of dog food and seemed to be just as big as one. Atari was king (in my life) and the connection we had to the internet was known as “Prodigy”. It connected through the phone line with a wicked racket of screeches, buzzes and clicks. We had nothing to compare it to but it was slow. Really slow.
It was here, at this desk in front of this window that our connection to the digital world began. Back then the counter top was a brown Formica and the kitchen was long and narrow. The kitchen and desk have been bumped out about 7′ and the cabinets, desk and windows all moved with it. Same desk. Same window. The monitor at the time had the best view out the window as it sat like Jabba the Hutt on the desktop.
Today, in the time of WiFi and flat screens this desktop comes back to life as an old wormy Poplar. Not planned or thought out early on, just how it happened to be. I needed material for the desktop and ran across these pieces of tongue and groove poplar casually leaning against the stone wall upstairs. They were looking bored and as if they needed something to do.
The poplar is warm and welcoming. I doubt we will set up our computer here. Maybe an occasional laptop. One thing is certain, it will become a catch all as most any flat surface within arms reach tends to do in our house.
The Penn Marshall Stone House 