I am in my early thirties and have been a hobby developer since I was about twelve. I've always wanted to write code as a daily job, but that idea fades further and further as I settle into how little I actually have to do in my current position for pretty good pay.
The idea of "legacy" and the "craft" certainly poke at me often. I am able to develop software for myself that automate much of my job, allow me time to spend with my young family, and maintain my home. I sometimes wish I had the title, and had something I could point at and tell my son "Dad helped build that," one day, as my father did when we would pass a new sub-division of homes that he helped build. However knowing how much drive it takes to stay on top of the newest stack, etc, almost makes me want to strive to stay where I'm at: 40 hours and no more, relaxed, working from home, being with family, with the same salary I would have as a mid to senior dev... life certainly isn't always about the easy decisions.
The idea of "legacy" and the "craft" certainly poke at me often. I am able to develop software for myself that automate much of my job, allow me time to spend with my young family, and maintain my home. I sometimes wish I had the title, and had something I could point at and tell my son "Dad helped build that," one day, as my father did when we would pass a new sub-division of homes that he helped build. However knowing how much drive it takes to stay on top of the newest stack, etc, almost makes me want to strive to stay where I'm at: 40 hours and no more, relaxed, working from home, being with family, with the same salary I would have as a mid to senior dev... life certainly isn't always about the easy decisions.