in reply to Look at the Big Picture

Nice essay, says this fellow member of Ye Olde Phartz Clubbe.

As to the ultimate goal of my coding, let me quote the composer Gustav Mahler: when asked if he preferred to conduct or to compose, he replied, "I conduct to live. I live to compose."

I'm not quite at that stage, although I do have to say that my main use in programming these days is to provide a nice home for my family. In my precious spare time, I try to spend a little time learning new stuff (Haskell, anyone?) but I don't get the charge I used to from it. Like you, I challenge myself with physical exercise, working out in my karate classes.

But the monastery is a nice middle ground. When I have a chance, I'll answer questions and read thoughtful essays, and try to pick up a new trick or two. When I don't have time, well, I can always reset the counter in Newest Nodes later.

Do not rebuke them with harsh words ... but rather lead them gently - with URLs - so that they may learn wisdom.

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Re^2: Look at the Big Picture
by samizdat (Vicar) on Oct 18, 2005 at 13:16 UTC
    I am fortunate that I've gotten such free rein here, but it's also because I have set it up that way. Coming to work is just such a joy because not only do I have great coding challenges, I can rework the landscape in a way that I'll leave a major division of the labs far better off. Very few people have that kind of an opportunity.

    I'm also totally in agreement with you and Tanktalus. Coming home is such a joy because I'm providing such a fertile environment for my family to grow and be happy. I used to spend my free time programming, but I selectively choose my extraneous pursuits so that my wife and son get a lot of attention. Jacob and I will explore programming together in the future, that's for sure.

    Even the limited growth of my salary (it's a g-job, after all) doesn't bother me, because I also have a company brewing that takes just an hour of my evening but will repay my investment many times over.

    I do have another hobby -- building model trains -- but I haven't gotten to it much because my life is so full. It's fun to escape to figuring out how I'd program a fly-on-the-wall camera such that you'd see virtual people riding the little trolley cars to work...
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