Mondays are confusing for computer nerds. Having briefly tasted the freedom of life outside the cubicle, we sit, slumped surreptitiously in our cubicles, hiding in the solace of our MP3 players looking, despite all our techno-brilliance, dazed and confused.
I mention confusion because after the bombardment of a week of user requirements, programming updates, team meetings, database issues and then – BAM – The Weekend.
Total and complete freedom.
Unfettered and unordered after a week of nothing but schedules, order, and SOPs.
For you see, true nerds, true geeks, do not shift gears very fast. We thrive on the order of the day, things being in the same place each time. These are the building blocks of our world. When 71.4% of your week is set in a certain way it is easy to get stuck in that gear. And for people of our personality type, the type that keeps the world’s technology running, it’s actually a comfort. For us analytical types, regardless of our ability to project plan, it’s difficult to change gears from ‘order’ to ‘freedom’. We thrive on an ordered schedule.
It is an irony of note, that even though we employ great powers of programming all the week long, the one computer we cannot restructure, the one code-base we cannot rewrite and recompile is … ourselves. Thus we are left with the issue of our continued need for structure, which we cannot change.
So going from The Weekend .. the ability to be outdoors, experience sunshine, fresh air … back to Geekdom .. a large province containing Nerdtopia, the high capitol of all of Code-tasia … well you never get used to it.
You’d think you would but you don’t.
And it’s why I blogged as such. As I look around this morning it really is much like my post title implies. For a time, each Monday morning, everything is mixed up. That is until we realize – all of us little square pegs, back in our little square holes – are right where we need to be. Back in the familiarity of our databases, web pages, requirements documents, and yes even meetings we dislike attending - tis all part of who we are, what we do.
We are computer nerds.
And occasionally, just occasionally, during the 71.4% of our living week … we even make time to save the world.
3 comments:
I loved this Rob. Your writing and presentation is very well done and the subject matter is humorous and enlightening.
I tend to like my "niches" as well so I can empathize with your Monday morning confusion.
I hope the rest of your day falls into place and you sail through it with flying colors. Looks to me like you're well on your way.
I just commented and published it but I don't know where it went!?? Oh well, I'm just stubborn enough to try it again.
I can empathize with you regarding your need for security. I am happiest when I'm in my familiar "niches" too. Adjusting to abrupt changes can throw me for a loop at times also.
Your post is very well written and extremely entertaining and informative.
I'd say your Monday morning confusion is far behind you. Sail on, Rob, through the remainder of your work day.
Thank you for supporting my blog with your encouraging comments.
Shaddy - thanks as always for the kind words. Coming from a writer such as yourself, comments like yours are quite humbling :) Thanks!
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