In the last days of 2020, I cannot help but contemplate over the past year. And what a year it has been. To my family and friends I say that this was the toughest year I ever had in my lifetime. Many would agree regardless if they know me or not. Covid-19 has changed everything we know about our day-to-day. It has had repercussions on my life as well, yet I’m sure they aren’t as severe as for others.

For me this year was all about welcoming my son to this world. I became a father. As many parents would tell you, it is a cut-off point between two parts of your life. The first is when you were at its center. The second is when your children are. It is wonderful and scary at the same time. I love it and I hate it. In short - a lot of self-discovery. Look out for a post on that in 2021.

Next was a physical experience that pushed my family to our limit. I’m talking about a reconstruction of our apartment building complex. The end result is going to be quite good, however the way it was executed was horrendous. Things were up and down June through September. However, come October we started feeling the lack of competence and sympathy that people running the project had for us homeowners. I think that one night in October when the temperature outside dropped to 8 °C, we had no heating in the apartment and no insulation, was when we realized that this is going to be tough. On top of that put construction workers starting work at 7:00, a baby that is several months old, and an exhausted spouse. I hope you get the point.

I am writing this not to complain - I have done plenty of that throughout the year. These words come from me to you reading this. You need to realize that not everything is in your control. I write software for a living. This is a deceiving profession since much of the physical world is very different from software. You don’t have quick feedback, reproducibility, ability to restart once you make a mistake. Especially in industries like construction. So I struggled to give in and accept that the only way - I get from where I was to end of the mess I was in - was to move forward through time. In other words - do nothing. That was scary for me since I’m so used to solving my work-related problems by looking things up or learning by trying. I would lie if I say I didn’t research, buy and use several carpenter and painter instruments.

In the midst of this madness I realized that I need to change my job. So I did. It was an exhausting but very educational process. A post on recruitment informed from that experience will come next year.

What is the greatest lesson that 2020 taught me? Be humble and keep working on your craft. If you believe in something, you will find the drive to propel you over all the hardship. It can always get worse.

From my family to yours - we send you wishes for health and positive thoughts.