I've been looking around me lately, and I have noticed something very profound.

I naturally tend to gravitate toward those people who are very good at what they do, whether it be programming, system administration, caring for plants, fixing automobiles, or practicing law. I find myself drawn to those with ambition, goals, drive, and determination. Each time I find someone who has a fire in his heart about something, I remember Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.

I also find my drive being refueled by people who have their own fire. When I'm with someone who is excellent in some way, I get inspired. I see what it is like to be very good and I want that. I want to be known for my talents. I want someone to look at me and say, "He's the webserver guru." I want someone to know me as "the perl guru", or "the security guru", or the "linux guru".

I guess that is the reason I keep O'Reilly in business, that is the reason I frequent this site, that is the reason I ask questions, and that is the reason I answer questions. I have a scripts directory in my home directory with files named like "am-0731.pl" and "princepawn-1.pl" and "am-list.pl". I routinely try the code that gets posted here to see if I am completely sure of what it does. I use this site as a laboratory where each day I get challenged.

I want to be known as being the top in my field. I want to be a mover and shaker of my industry, no matter what it is or may be. I want to be a Saint, if for no other reason than because it means I have accomplished something rare. I want to challenge myself to do impossible things.

I guess that is why I like perl. It makes impossible things doable.

J. J. Horner