[vcf-midatlantic] Perhaps I asked the wrong question...

After posting my assembly-for-newbs question, it occurred to me that perhaps I should be asking this instead: with no experience other than LOGO and then BASIC, which (period 1980s) language should I learn next? Was it normal to go from BASIC directly to assembly (is BASIC enough preparation), or were people better off getting some in-between experience with a language such as Pascal or something else? Keep in mind that my natural aptitude is liberal arts, not math. :)