|
I think that's what I was originally getting at. In my case, the events that changed the priorities in my life were threefold. First was the birth of my daughter when I was thirty. This had a profound effect on my emotional landscape, readjusting the level of importance of a lot of things. All of a sudden, there was this small person that depended on me for everything.
The second was my smoking. From college throughout my twenties I had let my body take care of itself. I smoked a pack of cigarettes a day, and didn't watch what I ate. I had a smoker's hack, I felt like crap most of the time, and my gut looked like I was the one who was pregnant. When we found out my wife was pregnant, we agreed to quit smoking. I quit, cold turkey, on January 1, 1991. I haven't had a cigarette since.
The third event was acquiring a new friend who got me into running and lifting weights. About the time my daughter was two, I was having problems with lower back pain, probably from stress. I was walking a lot during lunchtime, which seemed to help. One day when I was changing in the locker room, one of the guys said I should go running with them. 'Said' is too mild a word; he positively nagged. I went running with them. At the end, I was convinced I was going to die. After I had been running a few months, the same guy 'casually' mentioned he needed a workout partner at the gym. Ten years later, I've run two marathons, two half-marathons, and countless shorter races. I ride a 350 mile bicycle tour every other year or so. I've still got a bit of a gut, but it's surrounded by muscle, rather than the pale, sunken chest and stick arms I had before.
The combination of these things have given me a perspective. Programming is what I do for a living, and occasionally do for fun, but it's no longer the whole focus of my life. I don't have the temperament for the management arena. I'm content to stay at the top of the technical track.
Software Zen: delete this;
|
|
|
|
|
Congratulations! I you have probably added years to your life, as well as increased the quality of it. As my wife is pregnant now, I am doing the exact same types of thinking. Fortunately, I don't smoke or drink, but I need to shed lbs as I also have elevated blood pressure.
One of the serious side effects of sitting in front of a computer all the time, no exercise. I am 33 now and find myself realize that I need to make a change.
Your words are inspiring, and I am glad to read your comments. (Man, this sounds like a subject on Oprah). I hope I can make such changes in my life to improve the quality of it. There is a rich world out there beyond the computer screen, and time on this planet is fixed. MAke the most of it.
|
|
|
|
|
I think the same thing could be said about the "old-timers" who responded "more than 15 years".
"Those that say a task is impossible shouldn't interrupt the ones who are doing it." - Chinese Proverb
|
|
|
|
|
Started with a Vic-20, 10k expansion module, tape drive, and a 1541 floppy (interchangeable with the C-64) at the age of 10. Didn't get seriouse until 12. Learned alot by picking apart other peoples code, including my fathers...
Caught on to Oop and away we go... (with my first IBM compatible - 8086)
1 company... Hopefully this doesn't change (don't wish to relocate)
Sign says 'Store your *treasures* here!'
|
|
|
|
|
... with my first job. Compared to the rest of you guys, I must seem like a newbie. 
I only hope I can last half as long as some of you guys. Cheers!
"if you vote me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine" - Michael P. Butler.
Support Bone
It's a weird Life
|
|
|
|
|
Nick, I don't know what twit voted your post a 1. I gave you a 5 just to offset it.
Nick Seng wrote:
I must seem like a newbie.
That admission moves you one step further down the Path To Enlightenment. Well done, grasshopper.
Now, fetch me some coffee, boy.
Software Zen: delete this;
|
|
|
|
|
Yes sir, Mr. Wheeler, Sir!
You should probably know the coffee I brew has been known to known to cause permanent brain damage. 
"if you vote me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine" - Michael P. Butler.
Support Bone
It's a weird Life
|
|
|
|
|
Nick Seng wrote:
permanent brain damage
<Marty_Feldman_voice>
Too late!
</Marty_Feldman_voice>
Software Zen: delete this;
|
|
|
|
|
I'm a software architect, darn it!!!
Marc
Marc
Microsoft MVP, Visual C#
|
|
|
|
|
Well, it did say grindstone and not coder. So developing systems or apps does include architects also. Right  At least that was my take. ![Rose | [Rose]](https://codeproject.global.ssl.fastly.net/script/Forums/Images/rose.gif) If not then I miss voted. 
New Sig Time
|
|
|
|
|
Yeah, I am not a mere developer, I am a software visionary. 
"I'd be up a piece if I hadn't swallowed my bishop." Mr. Ed, playing chess
|
|
|
|
|
I'm not a developer, I'm an enlarger*. All of the apps I work on just get bigger.
(*) Ok, I work for Kodak. I had to go for the lame film-oriented joke  .
Software Zen: delete this;
|
|
|
|
|
|
I'm ashamed to say I'm programmer when I see others, 2-5 year and never work as an employee , just had some projects for others , and always teach myself programming myself.
Mazy
You're face to face,
With the man who sold the world - David Bowie
|
|
|
|
|
Nothing to be ashamed about. Curiosity and the quest for knowledge are what drives quality developers.
onwards and upwards...
|
|
|
|
|
It's been a long roller coaster ride too.
Started with a small company, I was employee #22.
Merged seveal years later with 4 other small companies, and went public (all at the same time).
Ran that way for a couple of years, then split into two distinct companies that failed to go '.COM' because of the '.BOMB'. Worked for one of these two companies, then I jumped to the light-side, and now work for the 'other half'. Our half was recently bought up by KODAK and I now gladly work for them.
D.
|
|
|
|
|
Welcome to the club. The company I work for[^] was sold by Kodak in 1990, and then they bought us back last fall .
Software Zen: delete this;
|
|
|
|
|
Well, well, well!
I worked at Kodak (D&AI BDC) from 1994-2000. Any of you remember Kodak Picture Disk? That started out as a hack and turned into Kodak Picture CD.
/ravi
My new year's resolution: 2048 x 1536
Home | Articles | Freeware | Music
ravib@ravib.com
|
|
|
|
|
Gary,
Hey, good to meet you and hear a bit of your story. I checked out your company's website and I have to say until now, I was unfamiliar with this kind of technology. Beats the heck out of those 2 and 4 color presses I worked on in my High School days (worked at a small print shop for a year).
Our company website is here PracticeWorks
Our site is terrible (IMHO) and contains out dated information; the good news is, it's being reworked and I've been told the new site should be up soon and will be excellent; I can only hope.
|
|
|
|
|
I am just over 10 years at my first and only company since graduating. I was employee #6, and was the firs and only coder for 4 years. There are now 5 of us. I could have run the software dept, but prefered to stay at the sharp end where my skill are best, so someone else now tries to manage me.
The company is around 22 people now. When I look at the equipment we sell, 95% of our products have my software controlling it, or is the product. God I am amazing!
Roger Allen - Sonork 100.10016
Roger Wright: Remember to buckle up, please, and encourage your friends to do the same. It's not just about saving your life, but saving the quality of life for those you may leave behind...
|
|
|
|
|
I suddenly feel old.
1988-1989 writing Dos apps for printing industry
1989-1993 develop RISC OS / DOS software for nursing/old folk homes.
1993-1998 back to the first company for a second stint, writing Windows apps
1998-2001 writing telephony apps for a start-up, which then went dot bomb.
2001-today running my own company, consulting and writing anything to pay the bills.
Michael
But you know when the truth is told,
That you can get what you want or you can just get old,
Your're going to kick off before you even get halfway through.
When will you realise... Vienna waits for you? - "The Stranger," Billy Joel
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks, now I feel old too, as I also started in '88 writing Wang Basic2 and C/Btrieve apps. Things were so much simpler in those days... and technology was new and cool, not just renamed, repackaged and retreaded stuff like nowadays.
Anyone remember Xenix and SuperDos? How about the WangPC? Octopus cables? Connecting to the BBS at 300 baud?
OK, got to go... time to take my Geritol.
onwards and upwards...
|
|
|
|
|
Bugger, now I feel like a real old codger
1985-1990 DOS & CP/M apps for the Accounting and Hotel trade
1990-1992 DOS apps for Accounting and Stock Control
1992-1993 DOS apps for Marketing industry
1993-1995 DOS/Windows apps for the Retail trade
1995-1996 DOS/Windows apps for the Legal industry
1996-Present frelance, writing windows apps for anyone who'll pay me
Phil Harding
|
|
|
|
|
You guys are all little kiddies.
1980 Honeywell Multics, VM-CMS [Pascal, C]
1981-1994 VMS, MS-DOS, Win3.1, Win32S [Pascal, C, C++]
1995-today U*x, Win9x, WinNT, Win2K/XP [C++, Java, Tcl/TK]
/ravi
My new year's resolution: 2048 x 1536
Home | Articles | Freeware | Music
ravib@ravib.com
|
|
|
|
|
First stint was at a small engineering company in Vermont with about 12 developers. Now I work at a 10,000+ company, there are probably 100 or so software developers (I am just counting coders, not project managers, testers, firmware engineers, etc.)
Big difference.
"I'd be up a piece if I hadn't swallowed my bishop." Mr. Ed, playing chess
|
|
|
|
|
General 
News 
Suggestion 
Question 
Bug 
Answer 
Joke 
Praise 
Rant 
Admin 
Submit an article or tip
