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I was a staff software engineer (front end lol so take that for what it is) at a medium sized B2B SaaS company that turned into a unicorn during my time there.
by mboperator 3y ago
I was a staff software engineer (front end lol so take that for what it is) at a medium sized B2B SaaS company that turned into a unicorn during my time there.
I quit in 2019 to start a company. In 2020 my time was split 80/20 between building a company and working alongside brothers and sisters in my local church.
In the past couple of years I’ve degreased kitchens, demolished walls, hauled concrete, done some electrical, metal work, automotive, woodworking, janitorial, hauled bags of salt and piled em up two stories high in a metal warehouse during a thunderstorm. Dirt under your nails work.
Yes 80% of my time was still tech (working on hardware though, which is a nice change) but I wouldn’t give the 20% for the world.
There’s a deep satisfaction in putting forth real effort - mentally and physically with sweat and sometimes blood - doing something that’s taxing, alongside and for the people in your community you know and love.
The things that separate and seem so large - cultural background, socioeconomic status, upbringing - they melt away when you’re in the dirt laboring together.
And I understand that this is coming from a privileged viewpoint. And that I had the choice to take on these things while others don’t. But in a way that makes it more meaningful.
Jesus didn’t have to empty Himself of His power. God Himself chose to humble Himself taking the form of a man and instead of being a ruler over the humanity while He was here, He chose to live among the lowest of the low. To love and care for the folks that society tried to pretend didn’t exist without any gain, self aggrandization, or virtue signaling. To die for us in order that if we turn away from the world and towards Him in faith we would be saved from the sin inside of us that separates us from God and warrants His judgment.
Jesus’ love makes me want to be like Him. I’m nowhere close — often foolish and more often still selfish. But in His presence there’s fullness of joy and an abundance of life that’s only found in sacrificing one’s self to Him.
- gabereiser 3y agoJesus was outcast by the temple for speaking against Jewish law. That kind made him “of the people”. Anyway, giving back to one’s community - either through church or a volunteer organization like Habitat for Humanity or Food Banks are very purposeful when money is taken out of the equation.
- IKLOL 3y ago[dead]
- ThorsBane 3y agoJesus was an outcast because he told the truth including on the nature of the Jewish law. He didn’t speak against the Jewish law.
- gabereiser 3y agoEverything was either for or against jewish law back then. Even the romans knew it. Truth or not.
- padobson 3y agoDidn't think I'd see camels going through needle eyes on HN today, but here we are!
- LeFantome 3y agoBig assumption that people are going to get that reference
- the_only_law 3y ago[flagged]
- ratsimihah 3y agoi google it and it worked out
- jasonladuke0311 3y agoCrazy huh? Almost like a peculiar arrangement of words might be referenced elsewhere.
- joenot443 3y agoIt's among the most famous of Christian metaphors, I'd actually be surprised if it went over the head of a well-read individual.
- meetingthrower 3y agoDid you know "needles eye" does not refer to sewing needle? I'm told it actually referred to something like a cattle gate. So the message is actually "hard but not impossible..."
- krapp 3y agoAccording to Wikipedia, there's no actual evidence for such a gate, so this seems like apocrypha meant to soften the message. But given that we're talking about the man who preached "give up everything you have and follow me" and "let the dead bury their own dead" I'd favor the more radical interpretation being the most likely. edit: Oh yeah, parable of the talents, too.
- paulcole 3y ago> There’s a deep satisfaction in putting forth real effort - mentally and physically with sweat and sometimes blood - doing something that’s taxing, alongside and for the people in your community you know and love. I don't know if I'm alone in this, but I've never felt this. I have no interest in this and take no satisfaction from it. If somebody wants something from me I'll give my money. Obviously I give my time for my job so I get money but that's only because I have to work. If I didn't have to work, I wouldn't. I took 3 years off once and kept to myself and loved it. Didn't contribute to society besides spending money.
- padobson 3y agoI took 3 years off once and kept to myself and loved it. Were you stoned the whole time? I only ask because if you're loving what you're doing, then there's usually some modus operandi or Summum bonum driving you. A really good high is pretty straightforward. Most others I know about tend to require something that contributes to a community, but certainly study or meditation can be lonely yet meaningful pursuits.
- paulcole 3y agoNope! Took molly once during those 3 years, but other than that I've abstained from drugs, alcohol, and soda pop my entire life (I'm 100% non-religious though). I read books, went to the gym, went on walks, rode my bike, hung out with friends, went on dates, went to the movies, went on the internet, and that was it. Absolute best time of my life.
- HeyLaughingBoy 3y agoI don't get it either. I'm a very senior engineer and I also live on a horse sanctuary. Taking care of horses is hard, very physical work that has to be done every day, regardless of weather or how deathly ill you feel. It's a pain in the ass. People ask if it's rewarding. No, it's just pain in the ass labor that has to get done. The only reason I do it is so my wife doesn't have to do all the work by herself.
- iknowstuff 3y agoAh yes god
- bazmattaz 3y agoThe man himself
- idiotsecant 3y agoAnyone romanticizing physical work based on doing it as an unpaid hobby is not experiencing what it's like to actually rely on that kind of work to survive. You aren't 'living like the common people do' because you do some work for your church sometimes. You're an otherwise rich tech worker who also likes to do physical things sometimes as part of a community. Working as a shift engineer at an industrial facility is not even remotely the same thing.
- ransom1538 3y ago"Anyone romanticizing physical work based on doing it as an unpaid hobby" Exactly. Being homeless is different than camping. One is a mental hell hole of despair. The other is fishing and laughing with friends.
- explaininjs 3y agoHomelessness is not a mental hell hole of despair, and claiming it is does more to dehumanize the homeless than anything. Being in a mental hell hole of disparity is a mental hell hole of despair, but that can come with any profession at any position on the socioeconomic ladder. (am homeless)
- evilos 3y ago"Being homeless is not always bad!" is not a take I was expecting to see today. I'd bet 99.99% of homeless people would extremely prefer not to be.
- CogitoCogito 3y ago> I'd bet 99.99% of homeless people would extremely prefer not to be. I’m curious what /u/explaininjs would have to say about this given he/she claims to be homeless.
- explaininjs 3y ago
- travisporter 3y agoI was with you until “only” in the very last sentence.
- windexh8er 3y ago> Dirt under your nails work. I feel like this is important, at least for me, to maintain a balance. I have a small bit of land. I'm often building with wood or metal. I'm lucky enough to have a shop/outbuilding where I can do those things like machine, weld, paint, cut, etc. I grew up in a small town (less than 3500 people) and I was a pretty fanatical gear head. I thought, at around 10, I had my mind made up and I was going to be a mechanical engineer. It was a way to combine two things I loved: computers and machines. But then I stumbled across a new undergrad program at one of our state universities focusing on networking, programming and *nix OSes and fell down that rabbit hole. On one hand I'm glad I did, on the other hand I'm still tinkering with things like Fusion 360 and vCarve. Maybe it's that it's not my professional life but building real things has a different reward. I've built, extended and upgraded countless corporate networks and have mostly specialized in network security over the years. But it's really good to physically build or fix something. I've got dirt and grease under my nails often.
- joenot443 3y agoThat's a really refreshing and admirable career story, thank you for sharing. I think so many people's problems with their mental wellbeing would dramatically improve if they had a community which fosters the type of 20% work you're describing. Great stuff.
- crossroadsguy 3y ago[flagged]
- steve_adams_86 3y ago> front end lol so take that for what it is It is what you make it. Some front end developers are the best software developers I’ve had the fortune of working with. Front end problems can be legitimately complex and difficult.