Defining Moments

I’ve done several sites over the years but none of them as blog-based content. This morning I started to write an email to share a defining moment with a friend. And it hit me that this is the type of thing that she would write up on her blog that she’s been keeping for years.

So I thought it would be fun to give this a shot.

It’s fitting that I just recently came across Stairs Made of Matches on Dreamstime — a site of endless gems of imagery. When I wrote up a story on here about my experience with a prior employer, every time I went looking for something to capture what I was after — Dreamstime seemed to know what I wanted.

A week ago today, I received a notification about a new course on Udemy. This guy’s got a new series called 50 Projects In 50 Days – HTML, CSS & JavaScript. I bought his 20 Web Projects With Vanilla JavaScript last November, but I was too busy to start it — since I was studying for my DBA exam.

With that certification out of the way on January 7th, I took a “break” for 2 weeks to work on that writing project I alluded to above. And the moment I was done, I returned to The Modern JavaScript Bootcamp — a wonderful course that I’ve been working through on and off for 2 years.

That sounds ridiculous — until you factor for everything else I was learning and practicing (all the while with a strategic purpose):

• ASP.NET MVC
• C#
• AngularJS
• Angular
• Entity Framework
• Web API
• DBA studies
• And more . . .

Not to mention my day job.

I’m not name-dropping tech to impress anyone — I just listed the things I’ve been working toward. But I did build a web application that’s a work in progress for a tool I want that doesn’t exist.

I have other things in mind that don’t exist — and that’s what this post is really all about, learning the tools of the trade as a foundation for what you seek.

And I’m not just talking about technology — but rather the fundamentals of anything. The moment I finished that application, I was going to hand it over to my manager for him to blow holes in it. I’m not satisfied in simply getting something to work — I wanna know how I could have done it better.

Whether I agree or not — I want that information.

Who knows, I might change my mind — either entirely or in part, but either way, that knowledge is another tool in my belt.

I’ve been thrilled to get back to that JavaScript Bootcamp course. As with Brad Traversy’s instruction, Andrew Mead is exceptional in bringing technology to life. And when I saw Brad’s email, it hit me that his 20 Web Projects would be perfect in parallel with Andrew’s JavaScript course. Naturally, I bought Brad’s 50 Days deal as well.

Udemy is a gold mine

I have subscriptions to other sites — and they’re equally phenomenal. But Udemy is unique is its freelance nature. And I must say, paying $13 for courses of this quality is almost criminal. I can only hope that their high volume pays them a pretty penny.

So I get into Brad’s course and I was just amazed by his top-notch work — and how much fun it is as well. But it soon became clear that I needed to beef up my HTML & CSS fundamentals. I had gone through a great course in early 2019, but I still had a ways to go with some gaps.

So I bought Brad’s Modern HTML & CSS From The Beginning — and boy have my eyes been opened, and I’m having a blast to boot.

Still, there was something missing . . .

A mission

That is when I’m in my element. I have the discipline to study every day, but when my mind is charged in pursuit of a monumental purpose — I have a laser-like focus that I can’t find without a mission in mind.

I hate to take time away from that to write this, but tomorrow is too late for the intensity of today — as I cannot match this moment again.

And besides, I will leverage this material like I leverage everything else.

Most people will never know of the countless moments they burned by not seeing the opportunity before them. Borrowing from The Dust Bowl quote that defines what this site is out to say — they “deal on the moment” for whatever gains they get now.

I seize on the moment for the gains I get now and later.

I’ve always been in pretty good company with that attitude . . .

I knew that someday I would return to the job-quoting application that my dad and I built 20 years ago. That tool evolved from a Lotus 1-2-3 program that he had some engineers develop for him back in the day.

I’m not a sales guy — and it wasn’t easy selling this thing to shops that weren’t computer savvy in the first place. But times have changed — and with the internet and all, I’m gonna make another go of it.

And I can’t lose

If it pays off as a product, great, and if not — I’ll have the knowledge for new pursuits.

Brad kindly reminds his students that if we don’t want to — right now we don’t need to worry about the keyboard shortcuts he shows us in Visual Studio Code. I appreciate why he’s saying that, but I cannot overstate how much the investment in practicing those shortcuts has already paid off.

I feel lighter in the weight of new knowledge — all the more reason why stepping on those matchsticks is not so far off.