To celebrate turning 40 in March, I've decided to do 40 new things between now and then. Why 8 months before? Well, because of #1... (if you've been following along, I actually went back and changed 1 and 2 to 2 and 3 because I decided I wanted this to be #1)
New thing #1 has a fairly long back story for a relatively short thing I did for the first time. So, here's the story :)
When I was a kid, every time I went to visit my Grandpa (Dad's dad) in his home in Manhattan Beach, CA, my memory is surrounded by radio. Ham Radio. This is a form of communication that requires a license from the FCC to operate, due to the frequencies used and such. It's all regulated by the FCC. If you'd like to know more, here's the official page from the national association of operators.
Grandpa had a bunch of radio stuff set up in his basement. He would sit and do his radio thing, which at the time I did not one bit understand, and I would play restaurant and "serve" him. For hours. Sometimes, I would go to breakfast with him and his friends. I now understand that these were all radio buddies and probably meetings of his radio clubs. I even have a faint memory of going to something that was either a swap meet or a field day (where they all get together to make a bunch of communications all around the world all in one day, basically).
When I was in high school or thereabouts, Dad got his license. I don't really remember him ever talking on it at home though I know some of the things he did, like search and rescue, involved the radio. Dad does all sorts of fun things with it now. If you've read the rest of my blogs, you know he (and I!) also use it to communicate at foot and bike races.
It was for this last reason that I finally got excited about getting my own license. I was licensed last October but never talked on the radio. It just didn't seem right to talk to anyone but Dad when it was my first time. You know!?! Also, I changed my call sign (what signifies that I have a license) sometime in the Spring. I think I already wrote about that but I'm going to add that story here too :)
I was originally licensed as KF5YNW. That's no fun. Dad suggested my initials. I do still have a little hope that my initials will change someday. BSBLGRL doesn't fit into the rules of call signs :( Dad's call sign is Grandpa's original, W6CYS. Dad figured out that I could be W5CYS (I have to have the 5 cuz I'm licensed out of the midwest). I thought that would be WAY cool to honor both Grandpa AND Dad!! And so that's me :)
I finally got to CA and I think it was on day 2 of my visit there, I finally said okay, let's do this. Now, I used the excuse of wanting to talk to Dad for the first time, but really, I was just super nervous. I'd been listening to radio talk my entire life, but somehow actually talking was scary. It's all legal, you know?!?! So, in a fit of giggles and tears, I called Dad on the radio. "W6CYS, this is W5CYS." Why'd I cry? It was kinda monumental to me - following in their footsteps, etc. and I'd been waiting for months. Why'd I giggle? Cuz I was crying and it was a very silly thing to cry about, and I giggle when I'm nervous!! Dad answered and then it became natural. More or less. The entire time I was there and talking to him, I don't think I went a single conversation without trying to ID with his call, or vice versa.
And so, what seems like I'd waited a lifetime to actually do, I did. And will do a lot for the next 40 years, I hope :)
You can check out all of the posts related to this endeavor through the label 40 4 40.
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