| Kids nowadays.... | | | | him it was a stupid idea, and just blew it off. |
| I remember when I was nine. On weekdays, I | | | | Then, while we were walking through the local |
| would get out of bed and go to school, and when | | | | mall one day about four or five years later, a |
| I got home, did my homework, eat, and go back | | | | small boy just "flew" past us. Flew, meaning rolled. |
| to bed. On weekends, if I wasn't outside playing, I | | | | What the heck! How is he doing that, he has |
| would watch cartoons for most of the day. Not | | | | sneakers on! YEP! He had a pair of sneakers that |
| nine-year-old Lim Ding Wen. It seems he is a nine | | | | had the roller skate wheels built into them. We |
| year old prodigy from Singapore that is fluent in | | | | just saw our first pair of Heelys. I looked at my |
| six programming languages. Heard enough to | | | | son, and he looked up at me with what I can only |
| make you feel nearly useless? There's more. | | | | describe as anger and disappointment. Every time |
| Young Mr. Wen has created an iPhone drawing | | | | we saw a child with Heelys, and I do mean |
| game called Doodle Kids, which, as of this writing, | | | | EVERY, he gave me that look. I have now seen |
| has racked up over 4,000 downloads in just two | | | | that look thousands of times, and continue to get |
| weeks! How do you feel now? Probably not as | | | | it whenever we see them. My son is now an |
| bad as I do, read on. | | | | adult, and to this day, he will not let me forget |
| Lim originally wrote the program for his younger | | | | that we missed out on one of the biggest fads of |
| sisters who like to draw. It works like an | | | | the late 20th century. |
| etch-a-sketch. You draw on the screen of the | | | | What does that story have to do with young Mr. |
| iPhone with your fingers, and to erase the | | | | Wen? Well, I am not sure, but I hope he has |
| drawing, you simply shake the iPhone. | | | | found his gimmick. Everyone deserves to find |
| My whole life, I have said that all it takes is a | | | | theirs. I just hope my son can find a new one, |
| gimmick for someone to be successful and get | | | | and you can bet your bottom dollar, this time I |
| rich. Not a gimmick as in the kind that rips people | | | | will not ignore another "stupid" idea. |
| off, but a gimmick as in something simple, small | | | | I am sure many successful businessmen (or |
| and seemingly insignificant that millions of people | | | | women) have had unconventional ideas. I am sure |
| will buy, and may make you wealthy enough to | | | | a few may even have discounted some great |
| live comfortably. | | | | ideas like I discounted my son's "roller skate in a |
| True story: When my son was young, around 6 | | | | sneaker" idea. But, the difference between a |
| or 7 I think, he came to me with an idea. He | | | | businessman that is getting by, and a truly |
| wanted me to install a set of roller skate wheels | | | | successful businessman, is that the successful |
| in his sneakers. He pestered me for weeks. I | | | | business owners go with their gut feelings and |
| gave the idea a bit of thought, and even though I | | | | take a chance. They don't care what others think |
| am quite handy and innovative, I could not for the | | | | of the idea. They just knew it would work, and |
| life of me, visualize how to retract the wheels and | | | | did whatever they needed to, to make it work. |
| keep them retracted. Also, being the safety | | | | If you find yourself with a "gimmick" that you |
| conscious fool that I am, I could just envision | | | | think may be the next big thing, take a chance! |
| children rolling around, falling and breaking arms, | | | | Yours may be the next great fad that everyone |
| legs, and heads. In today's society, that means | | | | just has to be a part of! Still not sure? Think pet |
| lawsuits, something I could do without. So I told | | | | rock! |