I found a license manual at a local Radio Shack titled From 5 to 1000 Watts, as I recall.  After learning about the various license classes in existence at the time (early 1981), I believed that Technician would be the best starting point. After all, it would allow me access to the local repeaters and 2m simplex operation on FM where I could be a part of the local amateur radio activity. While DX and such held its own interest, it was the local stuff that really interested me. There was just one huge problem, getting the Tech required a trip to the FCC field office and sitting for the exams 1A, 2, and 3. That seemed rather intimidating (I was sort of shy those years). There was another problem--learning Morse Code. I was a bit too shy and probably a bit too proud to seek out help from anyone else those years so I studied alone in near futility as one can probably imagine.

Fast forward to 1983. I had spent the previous two years studying, learning, reading, about amateur radio, building several Heathkits and small projects from books and learning Morse in fits and starts and then stops after about a half dozen letters. I was going nowhere it seemed (here is where you think I sucked it up and asked for help. Nope.) and there were real steps being taken to implement the VE system and bring exams closer to where I lived. The first change was to the Novice class with a published question pool and a change to the examiner giving the Morse and written exam at the same time and then mailing the completed Form 610 (remember those?) to Gettysburg. That was the motivation I needed and with help from Code Quick I passed and received my Novice, KA0RNY, in early November 1983.  My thanks to Ernie Wolff, W0GCJ (SK) for proctoring my Novice exam.  I was the last in a long line of local amateurs he helped get their start in the hobby.

Now you're probably thinking I got on the air and made a lot of contacts. Nope! To get going I put together a Heath HW-8 as it was affordable even though I was saving for Heath's HW-5400 and had its matching power supply built and working.  I tried getting on without much success. On New Years Day 1984 I got on 15m and the band was alive. Even with my poorly (read not) calibrated HW-8 it was easy to find the Novice segment.  I made a call and received an answer and promptly froze up. My log notes that he was "lost to band conditions" but I know the truth. And that was the extent of my Novice "career".  My license lay dormant and unused from that day forward except as proof to obtain an amateur radio operator plate for my Blazer.

A bit over a year later in January 1985 I upgraded to Tech at a VE session in Topeka from which I enjoyed meeting the locals and forming a local club of which I may now be the president for life!  After six months or so by the middle of '85, I realized there were new horizons to be found and an upgrade to Advanced beckoned (I wasn't to be satisfied with General as the written material came easily to me). So with the help of a local, Fred, WB0SZS, now KF0HS, on 2m FM simplex for coaching and 10m CW I gained enough confidence with my Morse ability (Ha!) to start using those Novice privileges that I still had with the Tech and started working CW.  The first unassisted CW QSO took place on my birthday and I will admit that I had copied a QSO and then called one of the stations after they signed.  It worked!  The freeze-up didn't matter much as I had his info. I was  on my way and soon had my speed up to 13 WPM or so with the side effect of some very enjoyable QSOs.  In October I sat for and passed Elements 1B and 4A and walked out with an Advanced upgrade where I would stay until July 1992 when I passed Elements 1C and 4B for my Extra.

Starting out, Morse was the greatest hurdle I faced or at least made myself believe I faced. I made myself believe for several years that I would probably never get beyond 5 WPM or so and 20 WPM was certainly out of reach. Yet, I gained enough proficiency to pass the exams by getting on the air and enjoying myself. Would I have ever tried CW if Morse were not a requirement? I don't know. I'd like to think that I would have. I suppose I'll never know.