hype7's Journal: Perspective

Wow. First entry.

I have just started to discover some of the new features of /. - the friends/foes concept I have found particularly catching. Anyway, as I've been browsing, I've kept an eye out for comments that I found particularly funny, or insightful, with a a view to adding those people as friends and hence modding any future posts by the people up.

Pretty simple, really... find a funny/insightful comment, click on the user, and take a look at the last 20 odd posts they've made. If I like them (yeah, very subjective, I know), I add them as a friend.

Well, I found a comment by a guy called MAXOMENOS that gave me a good chuckle! So I took a look at his past comments, and came across this. It has to be the most brutally honest, and insightful thing I've read anywhere on /., anytime.

I'll copy it out in full. The comment pertains to an article called "Generation Wrecked".

Please.

Yes it's true: my career is getting chainsawed by the dot-com bust. I went from AI programming to mainframe programming (and took a $10,000 pay cut) and was told a little while ago that, barring a miaracle, my position is going to be eliminated in February. The good news is I have four months to find a new job before I start collecting unemployment; the bad news is that computer jobs are scarce and I may end up just packing groceries or something.

Are the best years of my life behind me? No.

For the first time in my life, I have more friends than I can count on both hands, a girlfriend who loves pizza and beer and horror movies, a positive reputation in the circles that matter to me, and all the comforts I've ever wanted. My biggest concern if I end up packing groceries is health insurance.

As for computers: I can still do computers for fun. Well-documented, professionally-designed free software builds resumes. I can still take courses toward a Masters' degree in CS. If the field ever recovers, I can get a job. If it doesn't, I have a fun hobby.

What about the future? I admit I didn't plan on being a security guard for the rest of my life. Ultimately, however, a career is two things: an opportunity to do what you love, and a tool for getting the things you want and need. I can do the one and I have the other. Let the career get chainsawed.

The best years of my life are here, and are still to come.

I was stunned by this - here's this guy, sharing something pretty deep with a group of total strangers.

Occasionally, you read stuff that really changes your way about thinking about the world, about life. And this comment did it for me. I'm not too sure about the cheesy hollywood-style one liner at the end, but the rest was so honest, so... I don't know, uplifting, I guess, that I felt compelled to make some note about it.

It really does just go to show how important your sense of perspective is in life.

-- james