I think that story is typical. The interest and hobby burns red hot for a period. Life intercedes, kids come along. (Divorces devour ones soul), and poof, the only "computing" is done on a smart phone. I have periods where my involvement wains, but it is always in the back of my mine. I keep coming back. A new hack is done on a classic. The Atari Recharge (new VCS Recharge) game comes along, and wham, right back in it. The games were graphicly crude by today's standard, but the play is still there. I don't play games for long periods of time, but sometimes (especially on Friday nights, no work in the A.M.), I am right back in 1983-85. It's a blast. The real negative for me, is space. I don't really have the real estate for my equipment any longer. It does look like an eyesore to an outsider, stacks of disks, boxes, equipment. To me, it's art.