Like Riding a Bicycle?

How humbling to see skills get rusty!

I've started a new programming project, and the logical choice was to write my new computer software in the Java programming language. Back in the day, in my first career, I could program in Java in my sleep (in fact, I twice solved perplexing real-world programming problems in a dream, and the solution worked when I awoke!).

Great idea, except I've not touched Java since June, 2003, when I left Syntact Consulting. And in those 6 and a half years, most of what I knew faded into the dusty corners of my brain. So when I look at the results of my first 6 or so hours of effort, it's humbling to think that I once could have done that much in 30 minutes.

Of course, I've not let all the skills rust; I keep active as webmaster for the diocesan website and a monthly Anglican newspaper, and I've written a couple database programs in MS-Access, one for Julie to organize her thousands of letters from her hundreds of penpals, and one for my obsession with counting the number of times I listen to each CD.

And the Java skills are coming back. The dust is being brushed off. I do still remember how to ride that bicycle. I just have a couple skinned knees, that's all.