The Coding Saga Reaches Its Epic Conclusion

I take full responsibility for the melodrama in those ‘Coding Saga’ posts.

It will take a few week to fully process the class. One one hand if I looked at my first assignment, then my last project, improve peeks out in a few places. A little more time, more dedication could make things better. If I wanted to web design, I would move this blog lock, stock, and barrel to its own website. I have no interest in that headache.

However, I finally wrapped my brain around CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). I can finally take full advantage of the control over it, one I paid for on WordPress. It’s hard to take control if a person does not know what it is. If something comes up, I know how to fix it. While WordPress comes with ready-made blog templates, a little coding knowledge can go a long way. Wisdom makes sure it doesn’t make a mess of things. (Jury still out in my case.)

I will suggest to take a course like this without anything else on the schedule. Big mistake number one: I took this course at the same time the acting class reached its conclusion. I learned my energy will stretch thin, or for those with a metaphorical bent to their thinking, it’s true what they say:

A person chasing two rabbits loses both.

 I took one course, I knew people taking Master’s degrees online. I am not remotely there, but it doesn’t mean stop learning. A piece of paper may get you someplace, but it does not define intelligence. A deft mind, a willing heart, will make a person in wisdom. (Common sense dictates acknowledges Thorin Oakenshield’s voice in my mind as I wrote that last sentence.) I do want to jump on my soapbox for one thing: Girls need learn how to code.

I majored in English in university. While I graduated with a teaching degree, university meant breaking away from the small world of my high school, of my neighbourhood. I always had the sense of a larger world. I also had the sense many people swallowed beliefs without thinking why, or whether it actually worked. In high school, to be a girl with a thought or an opinion did not make you a boy magnet. Girls aimed to be boy magnets. It’s not an obvious thing, just very subtle. How many girls take computer classes? Learn coding? How many go in STEM jobs. I believe some girls want to do that as much as they want to major in English. Instead of playing the video games, they can create in the medium, and push it further. It starts with coding, it’s the key.

I may not turn into a web designer, but as a potential client I hope to step back and let people do their jobs. I understand the work it takes to put a website together. In the meantime I content myself with the written word and this blog. The other upside of this course….it crystallized what I really want to do. I want to explore the creative side left neglected in the name of whatever I thought people wanted.

In this we are all warriors. It takes time, in my case a lot of time, but it’s doable. I will steward what I have. In the meantime, it’s time for one last thing in this class. Will you follow me one last time.