Ryanware

When people ask me what I do I generally respond with something like “save the world from alien invasions,” but only when I want to scare the person off.

Yes, that a lie. I figured it’d been too long since I’d started out a post with a lie.

The truth is, I usually answer the question saying, “I’m a programmer.”

Not anymore though! I read a nifty article today and I’ve decided to change how I respond to this question.

Isn’t it pathetic? We live in a world where people don’t care about the things that you do — the things that interest you. Correction: They care more about how you make money, first and foremost. All the time — parents, friends, family, new people — they all want to know “what do you do?” But it reality, they are asking “how do you make money — what’s your job?”
- David Askaripour

From now on, when someone asks me what I do I’m going to say “I dance, fly fish, read, write, geek out, eat food, think, hike, and pretend to punch people in the face!” As I say that last part I’ll pretend to punch them in the face. People will think it’s hilarious.

Kirk: “Mr. Scott, do you always multiply your repair estimates by a factor of four?”
Scott: “Of course sir. How else to maintain my reputation as a miracle worker?”

I realized today that saving the world doesn’t mean doing some hugely important act worthy of fame or some huge prize. It’s doing some little thing for somebody that saves their world, even if it’s just for a moment or two.