kicking it old skool

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May 10, 2006

Unprecedented growth

Posted by G-force

I was thinking yesterday about how much I really enjoy what I do. I pretty much go home with a headache almost every day from cramming information into my head. But it’s really empowering knowing that you know your shit! Being out here, all alone (per se), you kind of wake up to the fact that what you know is the only thing that can sustain you. It’s the main source of your financial success and security. I know that it sounds like I’m stating the obvious, but put yourself in a position where you have no supporting structure except yourself to fall back on, and you’ll understand what I’m getting at.

It has given me a very seriuos kick in the ass to learn as much as I can as quickly as I can. Being a contractor right now fits in perfectly with that ideal, but it does have a few distinct advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, you get to learn and think on your feet, the job stays fresh, so there is no danger of stagnation (if the contracts are of the 2 to 3 month variety). The bad side is that you do spend quite a bit of time pondering your next contract and if you’ll find work again, so all the anxiety of finding a job and fear of failure etc creep up again. But as a plus on the latter, I’ve gained a lot more confidince in selling myself to a potential employer, something I have been very bad at.

It’s not been entirely my fault though. It’s just that most interviews are horribly constructed! I’ve had one where the IT Leads’ personal assistant (his fucking PA?!) asks me a list of questions over the phone, jots them down hand them over to the dba for review. Jaw dropping… What the fuck is that about? The problem with that is that there are some questions which could be quite ambigious and in some cases downright contrived, so at the very least I should have the right to ask for clarifiaction. An interview is a two way street.

I’m not so much worried about finding interviews to go to, it’s just the interview process that I have to be subjected to everytime (a fucking PA?!). I guess I should see it as a test, one that you have one shot at passing. But when said test is moderated by a technologicaly challanged ignoramus (wanted to slot “Ignoramus” in somewhere for ages), I can only throw my hands up and cry “fowl, I say FOWL!”

Oh, and then there’s Legacy (*blink* *change of subject* Dang, you missed it). Recently been musing about time (lack thereof) and how it’s zipping by. One of my bestest friends in the whole wide world asked his girlfriend to marry him last night. Three cheers to that! Of course, I have once again been asked to perform best man services; I’m getting really good at that shit. My brother is also getting married in October, so I have to give my travel plans a good think through. I can’t jet around the planet every 3 months for weddings (although, I probably could, but would I want to? Yes, I probably would).

So, Legacy. And time: I was thinking about my next eight to ten years (home? Married? Kids? Single and loving it?) and beyond. I was thinking how weird it would be if say, one day, my kids read my blog! Granted, many many factors would have to fall in place for that to happen (sexual prowress and fertitlity aside) like the internet still exisists (likely), human kind still exists (not likely) etc etc. But how cool, or weird, would that be? I’ve only really started to get to know my parents in the last 7 years or so, but I don’t know every detail about their day to day lives in any kind of granularity.

Whatever though, I’m gonna try and make the best of the next few years, leading up to the 30-something stage of this journey.

(and little Johnny, if you’re reading this, I’m sure you’ve spent more than enough time on the computer and you should go outside and play!)


as my memory rests

2 comments:

Zodan said...

Understand exactly what you mean about the growth and thoughts. Though this side the plan is fairly set though. 2 years here, back to CT, and then the world I say :)

Fanus Groenewald said...

Good point about the kids reading your/my blog. Suddenly it adds another reason for doing all this nonsense.

Maybe by the time they get to that point Blog will have a different meaning? Words tend to change their meaning over time, like ¨gay¨. I feel like such a Blog right now.