I started working with computers slightly before the World Wide Web was a thing. I’ve tried to continue to keep up with the technology even though it isn’t my day job to do programming, design, or server admin.
I’ve never really shied away from trying to learn technology. Even though website creation is so different now from 30-ish years ago, I’ve attempted to keep an eye on the changes.
But for the past few weeks I have been elbow-deep in server setup, software deployment, email administration, and probably a dozen other things all at the same time. It’s fun. It’s frustrating to keep running into the limits of my own knowledge. Still, it’s been a wild ride and somewhat exhilarating, if I’m being honest.
I recently heard a story1 about a woman who, at 80 years of age, decided to start studying Mesopotamian history. She went on digs, learned cuneiform, met with leaders in the field, and after 10 years of learning (yes, now 90 years of age) was herself considered an expert at the time. That story inspired this post.
The past few weeks, I’ve found that it’s challenging to push past your limits, especially when a lot of your knowledge, not to mention assumptions and preconceived notions, are now considered archaic. Especially when you’ve been coasting for a while and your mental muscles have gotten used to just bumping up against their limitations and staying there.
It’s never too late to learn new things. If you’re not young it’s a lot harder, and can drive you mad at times, but sometimes taking the harder path is a reward greater than the end goal.
- This story is from Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic, which I would recommend even though I’m currently only halfway through it. ↩︎