My 200th Article — Hello, It’s Time We Met

Everything I’m happy to admit publicly. For everything else, you’ll have to get me dinner and pints.

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After eight long years of Medium and 200 articles, I felt it was time we had a chat, where I talk, and you listen. 😆 Not because I’m an asshole, because I’m not, but because that’s how writing and reading works. It’s single-threaded and synchronous. I write, you read, you then reply in a comment, and I will likely reply. See? I’m not an asshole. Assholes don’t reply. I do. 😃 This is my virtual handshake, my virtual hug, nose-rub, fist-bump, chest-bump, kiss on the cheek, once, twice, three times, whichever feels more culturally appropriate to you. If you’re a Swede, we can also silently acknowledge each other from 5 meters away. Anything works. 🤷‍♂️

This. This is the one story I’m writing for you, my reader. So, this is special because I don’t do this. We’ve established that before. But this, this is my gratitude story to you, my reader, whoever you are, wherever you’re from. If you’re new, welcome, if you’re an occasional or a regular, nice to have you facing my thoughts on a digital canvas again; and finally, if you were on your way out and ready to unfollow, don’t you fecking dare! 😆 Sure, I’m only joking, you can leave, but you’ll come back because you’ll miss me. Where else have you met anyone this unapologetic, charming and inspiring at the same time? Gah. They don’t make them like me anymore…😆

So, who am I?

I’m your average neighbourhood nerd, except that I’m cool. But really, I think the word “average” is what describes me best. Hell, I’ll even take mediocre. If it’s good enough for Woody Allen, it’s good enough for me. I don’t pretend to be the best at anything, and I can’t even say I try. Life is too short to experience everything and also become the best at something. It’s impractical. Give me 3000 years to live, and we’ll have a different conversation.

But I did wish I could have become a surgeon or a pilot at some point. That would have been cool. Couldn’t afford it though, and life took me in different, possibly better directions like programming and writing. I did do many other things, though. Being born and raised in Communist, then post-Communist Romania…