10 years is a really long time, almost too long to imagine—but eventually, you have to think about it. The future is coming, and you are the one who decides it. 

But, sometimes nothing goes as planned. Truth be told, the future changes. See past me from 10 years ago: I wanted to be a firefighter, helping the community, even though I would only be in high school. As I got older, anxiety took over and I got scared, realizing people risked their lives for that stuff, and I’m not sure that would be the best option for me. In 10 years you will laugh about what you did as high schoolers, or you will think about ways you could have changed the outcome. If anything, be what you want to be. The future is a book, you are the author. Sometimes you have to take chances and stand up, tell your story, say what you want to be.

To the countless amounts of people who ask me if I want to be the owner of Schoop’s when I grow up: I really don’t. Schoop’s doesn’t get me the position of tech, and there isn’t really much tech to work there. 

Since the moment I met my best friend, we have grown to like the things each other liked. I like 3D printing, and he likes phones. He has a 3D printer and I have an old European rotary phone sitting on my desk. Sometimes I question, why is it all going away? I’ve read numerous articles how Verizon is disabling their 5ESS (Number 5 Electronic Switching System), one of the most efficient phone exchanges to be made. The Internet is taking over. People are starting to want faster speed, but, sometimes, the slow end is better. 

They both have their ups and downs as pay goes, but picking up the phone is the same with both. It’s getting human interaction. AT&T has human operators, where Verizon has robots. And sometimes, you accidentally dial into Russian phone exchanges. It’s really fun. Phones have so much to learn about them—it didn’t just start off as a cell phone. Alexander Graham Bell tried to create a device to help the deaf, but made one that did the exact opposite. 

Phones are my passion. In 10 years I see myself working on phones, with a great company and creating a decent living, helping the community, and doing some stuff that others won’t do. 

If you would like to immerse yourself in the old-fashioned phone experience using today’s technology, click here.