Turning 28
I just turned 28. I mentally feel younger. Although, I'm definitely seeing signs of aging. Especially with my hair.
I'm writing this as I'm waiting for AK to finish her shift in a cafe in the middle of the mall. It sure is noisy. No editing. Just write and post.
I'm going to make this a gratitude post. Because there's a lot of things to be grateful for–– my friends, family, work, and myself.
High School Friends
Since 2021, my HS friends have decided to reconnect, personally see each other, at least once a year. I'm glad we did that. Seeing them is always a boost in motivation. They give a sense to my third place.
I celebrated with them in an overlooking resto in Antipolo. Even though the girls quarrel a lot, it's a relief to not need to solve anything. I often get asked on why I didn't pursue an engineering career. I'd probably write about it later.
At one point in our discussions, the idea of starting a business came up. The leap from high school chicks and heartthrobs to profitable ideas is huge. That's 14+ years of friendship right there!
Family
This year, I learned about the word "pebbling". Pebbling is the act of sending shorts or reels to loved ones. I realized I've been doing this for years since my Facebook days. I do this to AK, a few number of my friends, and brothers, they're usually something punny or some dark humor.
But family pebbling? Insta-archive.
Pa sending reels results to my doomscrolling. I used to be annoyed with this. But since I'm far away from them now, it's a proof of life when they send reels. I just don't watch them. I can't. All short form videos are disabled on my phone with NoScroll.
Digital Hygiene
I finally grew angry at myself for doomscrolling. All those hours wasted would amount to probably years. And that's a fucking understatement. My phone is now under parental control. All apps with doomscrolling are now limited to 30 minutes per day. Restriction over prohibition.
But, Michael, why don't you just delete your apps?
I've tried. I've succeeded, for a time. But nah. It sucks to feel out of place. Especially, when people talk about memes. I love memes. I've been loving them since the early days of 9gag. That's how I bond with others, (especially if it's something funny or reminiscing.)
It's the same thing with video games, although I don't play that much anymore. It's a means to connect with friends.
I don't mind a few reels here and there. But scrolling shouldn't be done alone, at least for me. It's nice to have something to talk about with loved ones. Reels spark ideas. Ideas recall memories. And recalling memories help us reflect on our characters.
So from hereon out, I'll be doing my best to treat social media like how I treat alcohol beverages: with moderation.
Programming
Of all my readings in code programming, Ruby seems to be the most attractive. Despite the small community, they seem to be friendly and welcoming. I tried learning PHP with Laravel but my attention span doesn't last long as much I have for Ruby. So in the future, I might be doing some Ruby (and Rails) projects.
I've built a couple of websites with Gemini for work. Not with Ruby. Just plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The building was a bore, of course. But I was able to debug those websites, and add some tweaks on my own. I just go to AI to explain things to me rather than asking for the code. Although, it's always tempting to just give it up and give AI a better prompt.
Consulting AI gave me the confidence to continue web development. So I'm settling for Ruby and Rails. As I understand it, the programming principles can be transferred to others. So I'm trusting on that insight from other software devs.
Self
I'm pretty much grateful for everything I have now. Had my annual routine tests, the results showed positive feedback. My BMI indicated that I'm obese. It's something I'm going to have to work on.
I've become an important figure at work, which is both a blessing and a curse.
I'm about to get married to my best friend. I'm re-establishing my Third Place. I'm reconnecting with people who are supportive of my growth (career, life, business).
And in my prayers, I no longer ask for a better life. Shit's real hard, no matter how you see it.
So now I humbly ask to just make myself better.
I pray the same for my loved ones everyone.
Cheers to you all.