Yesterday I was having a look at some retro arcade cabinets and some emulators of old home computer systems with a co-worker. It reminded me of my very first encounter with something related to computers. The event that started it all...

I must have been somewhere around eight years old. I can still remember it very clearly. I was on a holiday with my dad, his wife and my sister. We were at a camping in Hourtin, France. It was called 'Les Ourmes'. Heck, they even have a website now.

At a certain afternoon I wandered off into the cantina of the camping. There it was... a real video game cabinet. Space Invaders! I had asked my dad a couple of times already if he would let me play on the intriguing black game cabinet but he refused. Yet I was totally flabbergasted by it and I could stand behind other people playing the game for hours, gazing at the coolness going on on the screen. This had to be the most awesome thing I'd ever seen in my short life. I had seen the 'Game & Watch' devices which were on display in many stores at that time. But this was different. An arcade cabinet. The real deal!

One day, a French guy was playing the game, pumping an endless flow of 50 French centimes coins into the machine. He had so many of them. He literally played for hours. Then it happened... while inserting another coin into the machine the guy dropped a handful of them on the floor. The coins were everywhere. "Putain!", he yelled, while he kneeled down to collect the money he dropped. What he hadn't noticed was the fact that I quickly placed my left shoe on one of the many coins that were scattered over the floor. My heart was pounding because I did realize I was doing a 'bad thing'. But... sometimes a boy has to do what a boy has to do. I just HAD to have a go at that amazing machine...

The guy kept playing and playing for an awfully long time. When all his coins were used up I noticed him looking around. Damn! He KNEW one coin was missing! With my best eight-years-old poker face I looked around like nothing had ever happened until he finally left the cantina. I carefully watched him leave to make sure he wouldn't see me kneel down to get that one little shiny coin. My ticket to one game of Space Invaders!

My heart was beating faster and faster. I moved a chair towards the machine to stand on and I inserted the coin. The game didn't last very long of course. Yet... it was a most magical experience. I played my very first video game! Woo hoo!

What happened after that? Well... I played many... MANY videogames and I owned many computers and consoles. I even learned how to create websites on them ;)

So here's to that French guy: I'm really sorry for stealing your 50 centimes coin. I just had to kick-start my computer career! Your 50 centimes coin played a crucial role in the process!