The Circle is Complete . . .

One of our librarians at the church is using a pretty advanced software for church libraries, and she asked me last week if I would be willing to help them get a barcode scanner and automate some of their checkout and tracking. I just laughed at that, because although she knew I was a computer programmer many moons ago, she had NO IDEA that I used to do auto id work (specifically with barcodes). I was more than happy to take on the challenge: This is EXACTLY what I used to do.

I contacted the folks that wrote the library software to find out the specs on what we needed for a fixed scanner. She told me that they already had one that flawlessly integrates with their software and it was only about $150 more than the cheap ones I googled. I agreed to buy from them (since it will be a seamless integration) and that box came yesterday.

And, inside was an Hand Held Products 3800!!!!

And when I looked at Mary and Barbara and did my best Darth Vader “the circle is complete”, they looked at me like they were going to make me take a random drug test.

Why is this funny and extremely ironic??

I e-mailed my old pal, Bill Ray up in Spartanburg. I knew he would get it, and he did . . . He responded this morning that he almost fell out of his chair laughing when he read all of this. You see, there is a story here:

When I was a computer programmer (and working for Bill), we were a value-added reseller for Hand Held Products (at the time HHP was based in Charlotte). We even did a lot of research and development WITH HHP as both of our companies grew. But, I surrendered to ministry, moved to New Orleans, and the rest is history. Bill and I worked closely with HHP in their early years.

So, it is EXTREMELY ironic that there was an HHP scanner in that box . . . Bill suggested I should name that scanner LUKE. I just might!