My Why, My Original Problem, My Bounty

My Why

I'm learning code to free myself of progress blockers like time, location, and monetary constraints. I want to be free to travel the world promoting renewable energy and a renewed vision of earthly stewardship. I want to share with impoverished peoples of the world that they too can have options and can make a difference in their local world and in the larger world as well. I fully believe that if freed from the shackles of purely surviving and offered the liberties and leisure of choice a person will make educated and hugely helpful decisions to lift up themselves and their communities.

I plan to take modern technology to the places that could use it most. The idea is to help people trade in the pick axes of the cobalt mines for a laptops and AI controlled machines. I believe that like me, many of the people in the world want to make better choices when it comes to recycling, emissions, carbon footprints, sustainable living, eating cleaner to just brush the surface. But, we are confounded by our circumstance of simply surviving. We don't yet own the liberties or leisure of choice in many, if any, of these areas.

My Original Problem

In September of 2018, I pursued a problem's solution; The over-the-air signal to my mothers homestead was too weak to be picked up by the government provided boxes; even with boosters and amplifiers it struggled to display 2 channels without a blizzard of interference atop the broadcasts. I found that all hope was not yet lost as she did have a monthly subscription to high-speed internet. There was an application that you could use to stream the same free networks through a WI-FI connection on your cell phone and cast right onto your television screen. We bought the dongle for the television and setup the app on her phone. In no time she was in business!

🌤 All was well! 🌤

-------🌩🚨⚡ Until it wasn't. ⚡🚨🌩

A month later the app's author lost interest and it went down. It stopped working. I quickly found another version by another author and patched up the pipeline restoring the service. History has a way of repeating itself; and here, Father time was no different. At a loss for our inability to find a permanent solution, I decided it was time I became the author of the application, because surely, I wouldn't become disinterested and let my sole subscriber (Mom 💛) down.

Two years & 9 short months later --I have my final review tomorrow for my team project in the Labs Unit of Lambda School. Next, I undertake 2 months of Computer science algorithms and the original language I picked up for mom's streaming app, Python. Then its off to the races and taking on the career of my dreams.

My Bounty

I pursued a problem's solution;

• that which I perceived to be on the other side of the 'learn to code wall'
• without understanding the great beauty that IS the wall.
• That wall represents the journey and the growth it yields to those gritty enough to stay the course.

I found much more than the answer to that problem.

I found software as a way to solve any problem.
I found code to be a unifying entity.
In my experience it brings people together and heightens their abilities.
They leave smarter and happier for the social interaction if not solely the personal growth.

I found more problems and many more solutions.
I found a new way of thinking,of living.
I found a community of like minded growth oriented humans.
I found some perceived trolls, who inside were actually scared, cornered or injured and also just more humans.
I found compassion by the ton.
I found acceptance and inclusion.
I found both physically and psychologically safe learning environments.
I found excellence of many magnitudes.
I found beauty.
I found strong willed humans.
I found in surmountable odds.
I found sobriety! 3 years and 4 months today. My drug of choice is knowledge!
I found peace of mind.
I found purpose.
I found a desire to help others and to grow every day.
I found satisfaction.
I found a leveling ground where anybody can be somebody.
I found opensource that meant sometimes the good stuff Was free.
I found team work and collaboration in ways I never thought to dream up.