Surf

Many years ago I worked for a big Asian electronics company in their Silicon Valley plant. A fellow, I don't recall his name, so we'll call him Jim, had the cube next to mine. He was a shortish balding guy with an active smile. He was devoted to bluegrass. He was an old line assembly language programmer, and I suppose I was the young blood. At that time the embedded software world was moving from assembly language on raw iron to C programs written with the benefit of real-time operating systems.

Every now and again I would look over at him staring at his screen or (the were still in use then, a printout.) I could see in his eyes no comprehension. It was just a field of random characters for him. I could not tell whether he was trying to make sense of it or whether his mind was elsewhere and he was just waiting for it to end.

Jim did not have to wait very long. He was layed off within a couple of months of my arrival. I never saw him again. My boss, when I asked, said he had been suspected of sneeking off to a closet during the workday for a drink. I did not and do not believe it.

After that I have seen the same blank look on compatriots and the same ambigous affect. There have been times when an observer would have seen the same look in me. I came to think of the software business as like swimming in the surf. If you hold yourself steady you can keep your head above water and at times command a good clear view. But inevitably you will tire and your attention will wander for a spell and you will find yourself tumbling in wild surf. It is difficult to resist the pull downward.

I have been underwater a number of times. I thought my career was dead. So far, I have arighted myself, usually by change of circumstances.

- J