Personal Narrative Essay: My Passion for Computers

In life, everyone has something that they are passionate about. Some learn it at a very young age, and some find it later in life. Our passions and skills influence us in life, and they teach us about ourselves and what we should pursue. My passion for computers has led me to run my own business doing what I love; building computers.

The first computer I had was a Dell Optiplex 780 that I had been gifted for my 9th birthday. It was old and slow, but it wasn't horrible considering its price of $30. Within the first month, I had it; I broke it, installing Windows Vista on it. Even though I was upset about the state of my computer, it was a valuable experience that I used to learn about computers, and I eventually learned how to fix this problem. I took it apart many times to examine what was inside and did my best to put it back together. After a few years, I was getting more involved with the subject. The internet was a fundamental part of developing my interests, and I frequently browsed forums and watched YouTube videos to learn more. When I was 11, I knew enough about computers to build my own. My budget was $300, and I would build it from the ground up. Almost every night, I went on my $40 tablet and searched for parts. I saved up all of my allowance for the year to build it over summer vacation. As soon as the school year ended, I ordered the components, mostly used in order to save money. I was nearly exploding with excitement when they arrived. It took longer than I would've liked to build it, but I finished it. In retrospect, the parts I chose were not the best, and as a result, the computer was anemic. I loved it, though, and upgraded it later on to suit my needs.

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, I was spending more time on my computer, and it was beginning to feel a bit outdated. I worked for two weeks at a sushi restaurant before they had to let me go, and I earned a paycheck of $300. I sold my aging computer for $200 and became familiar with the process of selling locally. That gave me $500 to build a new one. Revisiting this hobby after a few years was a great feeling. After I built my new computer, I was so eager to tinker with it I took it apart and put it back together again. A few months later, I built my first computer to sell. It sold in a week, and I used that money to buy more parts and build another computer. 

Running the business takes time and patience. Finding parts now is a highly tedious process due to the international chip shortage. It takes several nights of careful planning to produce a return on investment. Every component I buy has to be recorded in spreadsheets so that I can keep track of inventory. Once I have all of the parts, I assemble the computer. It usually takes only a few hours, but the process may drag on for days trying to troubleshoot minor problems when dealing with older components. Countless hours are spent hunched over a mangled computer on the dining room table with sweaty palms trying to figure out what's wrong. Once it is all built, I photograph it and post it on a variety of sites. 

I have built and sold plenty of computers over these past years and don't plan on stopping anytime soon. Although I have a real job now and don't make heaps of money off of it, I still do it because I love the craft and will continue doing it as long as it is profitable.