Off topic: A belated adieu

Apologies for starting an off-topic thread here...

Some of you may have noticed that I haven't been around this forum for several months, now. The fact is that I was made redundant from my job at the end of January (credit crunch and all that). What surprised me about this was that I greeted it with a feeling of relief, since I had been feeling dissatisfied for some time prior to that.

Anyway, I took a while off to try to figure out what I wanted to do with my life and rapidly came to the conclusion that 30 years of being a code monkey, sitting at a desk, facing the commute day in, day out, was enough. I simply couldn't face doing it any more: I had to make a change. I've now had about 8 months in which I haven't written a single line of code, and I cannot say that I miss it in the slightest.

The upshot is that, at the ripe old age of 53, I've gone back to college to study one of my first loves; photography, and I'm enjoying every minute of it. I just thought that I should pop back here and explain my absence to those who I've got to know and respect through this forum and who, my vanity tells me, may have been wondering what had happened to me.

So, let me just say a big thanks to the regulars here, from whom I learned so much in a previous life, and to wish you all the best for the future. In making this (fairly scary) change in my life, I feel a real sense that I'm doing something right - may you all have the same feeling in whatever you do.

Regards,

Graham

I can't help it.

Don't forget to eat your veggies!!

Great

I know that I will also attain such situation but still time is there. I have not got that success in life and I have so many to get in.
But certainly I can imagine that all of us will soon realize this. Some may still realizing.

Good luck for your steps.

Thank you for the news and "bonne continuation" like we say in French.

I wish you all the best in your new direction.

Sad to see such an old hand go...

Best wishes and good luck for your future plans,
Guido

That's awesome that you've figured out what's right for you. My Dad just realised after 49 years of life that he wants to direct movies, so he is studying that. Never too late to do what you want to do (and that's not me saying you're old, because you're not!).

Good luck. :)

I have learned a lot from reading your posts over the years and am sorry to see you go.

Thanks for the responses, everyone.

Maybe one day I'll feel ready (or need :) ) to take on part time or short term contracts. If so, I'll be back, but for now let me say how much I've enjoyed interacting with everyone on here - in fact, I may well pop into the chit-chat forum every now and again.

All the best everyone.

If I may be permitted a couple of quick links:

My Flickr stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/major_bloodnok/. If you're on there, add me as a contact.

Alternatively, you can find me on Facebook (search for Graham Douglas in Manchester, UK)

I have been irregular myself here, there has been so much I have learned from you Graham. Good luck in whatever you take on and will surely follow your work as I am sure you will be very quick to master photography as well. Couldn't find you on facebook.

Now that you're out of the code monkey situation programming will be fun again. Why don't you write a photography application? I'm sure you will some day. Good luck! :)

Sorry to see you go Graham.

I wish you good luck with your future and hope that you get to the point where you enjoy coding for yourself again.

On a positive note, general election soon!!!

Hi Graham,

as someone who has enjoyed getting your help and reading your posts over the past 6 years, I also wish you the best of luck for your new challenge. I do envy you for taking this step, not sure if I had the courage to (but I'm not quite sick enough of my current work to consider).

Best regards,
Torsten