18 years ago I was in Paltinis in a 7 days physics preparation camp. At that time I was interested more in physics, chemistry and electronics than computers because they were more accessible to common children. I had computer classes twice a week for the last 2 years at “casa pionierilor” (no good translation comes in mind,it was something like a children club with specific activities on various domains, including automation/computers) but no access to a home computer. So I had far more time for physics and I was part of the enlarged team from Sibiu in preparation for regional and national physics contests.
During 16 - 22 December 1989 there was one of the training camps in physics in Paltinis and the 22nd was the test day. I remember we were gathered in the dining room (the only one big enough to have all of us) from 10am and were writing for the test. A radio was playing patriotic songs in the background and, at one moment, I’ve realized something was different. The song stopped and the speaker announced the Ceausescu has run from Bucharest and the revolution has won (these were not the exact words but this was the idea). We all stop, looked each other and start chatting. Nobody paid attention to the test. And here it comes one of my first thoughts: “now we will have easy access to electronics components”. It was not of freedom (I don’t think I KNEW what freedom was as nobody has tough us about it) but it was about one of my biggest restrictions: the possibility to do something (electronics) as I saw fitted. (Before ‘89 it was hard to find components and to buy what you needed - in the electronics club they told each time to pay attention what we were doing, not to broke/burn components as they are in a very limited supply, expensive and very hard to find - the problem was not in money but in what you could do with them… nearly nothing).
That was 18 years ago… Now I’m away from electronics and I’m working nearly 100% in software with only limited hardware work but I still can’t forgot that thought “now we will have access to electronic components”.
I call it my very first free thought. and it one of the most strong memories from that times.
I’d like to know what was yours first free thought? Anybody?