Bamboo

How coding is more creative than people think 

Around about the time that I realised that I was meant to be a software engineer and committed to it for life, I became obsessed with the song Bamboo by Elder Island. In fact that makes me realise how long ago it was. It was pretty much the same night. I am not afraid of this story anymore; I had a seizure in the centre of Brighton and everyone misunderstood the situation and I was having a rough time. There was a woman on scene who was helping but she couldn’t quite get what I needed although she was wonderful (I’ll come back to her). But then a mysterious man came along with his wife. And they got talking to me. And they got talking to me about coding. And just like today. That can get me to recover pretty fast. And so they took me inside of a fancy cafe. And people who don’t have seizures cannot understand this. You can often get treated like scum by businesses around you or by people who have seen it happen. As they don’t know you or understand you or presume the worst about you. Yep. Story of my life. 

So the couple, a distinguished retired couple, took me into the cafe and bought me a tea. I will never forget this. They talked to me about coding for over an hour. The man was a retired or soon to be retired software engineer with over 40 years experience. He had been coding since when you punched holes into card. He told me to learn a Ruby and Python and to avoid C lol. But he also dissolved my finally barrier; he had a fine arts degree. 

He said he had done every single kind of art form in the world. But coding and programming was the most creative thing he’s ever done. That was the final barrier dissolved for me. I had thought that it wouldn’t be creative enough. 

He told me to move across as I was already working in tech at the time. I told him I couldn’t do it. He said to me “All the best of luck with your new career.” I couldn’t believe him. 5 months later, I would be starting as a software engineer. That man changed my life forever. So you see sometimes it’s worth having a seizure. 

Sometimes the worst thing in the world that can feel like it’s the biggest curse of your life and plague you for so many years can lead you to exactly where you need to be in life. The night after I met the man I played Bamboo off my phone and skipped and danced around to it. Because the joy that I felt off of that song was exactly the joy that I felt was coming in my software engineering career. Only I was wrong - it has been better. And what of the lady? The one I mentioned before? The first one to help me? I met her again. It was almost a year and a half later. I had another seizure. But it happened for me in almost exactly the same spot and she found me and took care of me. That was the timr I was finishing writing my AI in renewable energy research project of many months. I finished writing it up that day. Two days later I got laid off. Getting laid off was a miracle. My new job has AI, renewable energy and Python and it even has water tech thrown in as a bonus. Who knows if it was that place or the lady or the couple but something brought me luck again and again. I have to remember sometimes that I am doing all I can to serve the world. But I have to remember sometimes as well that coding really really helps me as well and I need it too.

“I wanna feel that thrill of the night. Feel the stillness stripped from the light. Oh, dreams of dust crumble.” Yep that’s exactly how I thought it would be and exactly how it is.

And what makes it so amazing? Well the people first of all. The people are always the most amazing bit of software engineering. I have met so many amazing people and I like them so much. And the fun of it. The satisfaction and the fun of it all. The fun of building something new. And I just love code. Thank you. I’m having so much fun. I love it so so much. Thank you. 🙏❤️