At the end of 2019, Mala (b|t) invites us to write about the gifts we’ve gotten during the year. I’m a bit late to the party this time so i’ve read a few contributens and i’ve seen similar sentiments with other writers.
The gifts we’ve gotten aren’t material. They seem to consist of the #sqlfamily. And for me, it’s no exception. The sql family is a gift that keeps on giving. Every time someone needs help, it’s there. Everytime someone want’s to share some joy, it’s there.
I’m honored to think i’m a part of this family, even if i’m not. When I’m meeting people at an event and we connect, even for a short time, my day brightens. It’s so much fun to talk to the people i’m looking up to, even when I’m physically taller. The people that take the stage and share are my peers. They inspire me and make me want to grow to their level so i can share and inspire others. I’ve got a long way to go but in my own time, i’ll get there.
A few people asked me when i’d start presenting at an event. Because that is the moment I can start giving gifts and/or returning the favors, i’ve been thinking hard about it. But right now, i’m not confident enough in my knowledge. It will come as i’ll start this year with a talk for my company and a few clients. If that goes well, who knows what will follow.
My personal gift is my wife, of whom i’m incredibly proud. She started a traineeship this fall to change her career. Changing from a regular job to IT takes courage and determination. She’s way smarter than i am (about 20 IQ points) and has a drive to succeed. Not as a DBA but as a developer. All i can do is teach her how a database can react to poor code. I won’t be surprised when she teaches me how to set the database up to perform to her code.
On the other hand, she’s able to slow me down when i’m driving myself over the edge with work. Though she understands that learning doesn’t fit in an 8 hour day, she keeps me connected to the household.
2019 has been a fantastic year. I’m hoping 2020 will be the same, if only because i’ll get to see so many sqlfamily people again.
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