Your perl time isn't wasted if you get paid to write perl code, but don't delude yourself, your perl "work", code you submit to cpan is a waste of time. You're not helping anyone with perl, here and on cpan at least. Grab that broom and hit the streets. I find it funny, you mention the work of others you consider "badly conceived and executed", that pretty much sums up your contributions to perl. But who cares? You pay the bills, you take your kids to the ball game once in a blue moon, the rest is gravy. You don't like it, do something that makes you happy. That may be the real reward you crave