Computers
Well this all started out as me wanting to use CAD programs, and has turned into a major hobby, sometimes business. I started using computers in High School, I don't know the hardware, but the language was COBOL. I didn't know the language anymore than to be able to waste about 50 punch cards getting the printer to write my name.... Tax dollars hard at work.
After that it was at home with various apple products, programing in basic, and playing games. Learned about spreadsheets, and word processors. The beginning of the end (or is that the beginning?)was when I bought my first computer. It was a 486, it cost me most of what I made from building a car for a friend, and I loved it. I could do CAD drawings now, the world was mine. So I learned how to make good drawings, still needed a mill and a lathe and a tig welder to make the stuff, but hey it was a start.... then the Internet (play the foreboding music now)
The Internet has turned out to be a great tool, its a good way to learn, its a great way to kill time, murder time actually, in large chunks. I have learned a lot, learned about hardware, learned about software, about networks, operating systems, more than I should probably know, its fun and I keep that perspective on it.