Passion, Simplicity & Others
I know, I know - it's been awhile since we've spoken. I think we've each grown a little; I know I have. I won't apologize for being gone so long. Admit it, you didn't miss me much anyways. :)
Anywho, I've been recently adding programming-ish entries to a wiki a friend of mine started at work, and it gave me the writing bug once again. As I was wiki-i-ing away on such blisteringly fun topics as the new EJB3.0 spec and the many open source projects we use, it strangely enough got me thinking about my profession.
Don't you dare tell anyone, but I'll admit it - even with all my sarcasm, bluster and just plain arrogance when dealing with or speaking about programming (I really need to be told more often that I still don't know EVERYTHING - well, at least, not yet), I still, every now and then, wonder if I picked the right profession for me. Sometimes it feels like I'm swimming in this vast sea of overwhelming information and I'm struggling to find even the slightest purchase.
Programming is kind of like one of those carnival fun houses, with a bunch of doors. You open up the first door (say, learning a simple language - like HTML), and it opens up a room that has two more doors (JavaScript and CSS). Eventually, after banging your head on it for awhile, you open the door to JavaScript and it opens up to a room that has three *more* doors (ASP, PHP, JSP). And so on and so forth. The cool thing is - once the door is opened, it stays open and helps create an overall map through the house. So when certain doors intersect and lead to similar places, you can connect the languages in many different ways.
I guess my point with the whole "fun house" idea is just that sometimes the sheer number of possibilities gets a little overwhelming. It seems to always come down to 3 things for me - 3 things that always make me realize how much I love what I do.
Here they are:
1. I am truly passionate about the code I write - making stuff "work" rocks!
2. I love employing the power of simplicity (even if the sweet, chocolately-chewy seduction of complexity sometimes harkens me), and
3. I work with a couple of fantastic co-workers who keep me on track when I stray too far from sanity.
Sitting back, re-reading that makes me realize that wallowing in a sea of information isn't like drowning, it's more like seeking hidden sunken treasure - AARRRG!
You've not heard the last from me...muwhaha!
Anywho, I've been recently adding programming-ish entries to a wiki a friend of mine started at work, and it gave me the writing bug once again. As I was wiki-i-ing away on such blisteringly fun topics as the new EJB3.0 spec and the many open source projects we use, it strangely enough got me thinking about my profession.
Don't you dare tell anyone, but I'll admit it - even with all my sarcasm, bluster and just plain arrogance when dealing with or speaking about programming (I really need to be told more often that I still don't know EVERYTHING - well, at least, not yet), I still, every now and then, wonder if I picked the right profession for me. Sometimes it feels like I'm swimming in this vast sea of overwhelming information and I'm struggling to find even the slightest purchase.
Programming is kind of like one of those carnival fun houses, with a bunch of doors. You open up the first door (say, learning a simple language - like HTML), and it opens up a room that has two more doors (JavaScript and CSS). Eventually, after banging your head on it for awhile, you open the door to JavaScript and it opens up to a room that has three *more* doors (ASP, PHP, JSP). And so on and so forth. The cool thing is - once the door is opened, it stays open and helps create an overall map through the house. So when certain doors intersect and lead to similar places, you can connect the languages in many different ways.
I guess my point with the whole "fun house" idea is just that sometimes the sheer number of possibilities gets a little overwhelming. It seems to always come down to 3 things for me - 3 things that always make me realize how much I love what I do.
Here they are:
1. I am truly passionate about the code I write - making stuff "work" rocks!
2. I love employing the power of simplicity (even if the sweet, chocolately-chewy seduction of complexity sometimes harkens me), and
3. I work with a couple of fantastic co-workers who keep me on track when I stray too far from sanity.
Sitting back, re-reading that makes me realize that wallowing in a sea of information isn't like drowning, it's more like seeking hidden sunken treasure - AARRRG!
You've not heard the last from me...muwhaha!
posted by James at
10:34 PM
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