E’rything you wanted to know about what I’m doing here but were too starstruck to ask

Okay, I’m no star, but I am pretty awesome.

Let’s see…how do you create an “about” page without coming off as narcisistic? I guess I’ll just…start talking. Don’t feel bad if you don’t make it all the way through. I may very well give up writing before I get to the end.

My name is Lucas, but you already know that. You probably came in through the front door and saw those words slapped across the header. I’m a Gen-X-aged web developer struggling to keep up in an industry that is constantly…I mean CONSTANTLY…changing. When I started out on my career path, there wasn’t a whole lot to know. The concept of “the web” was new. There wasn’t a lot of content out there yet, and what was there all sort of looked the same. The HTML language was very minimal and to-the-point. It was designed to inform. Anything beyond that, for purposes that required some sort of interaction, there was JavaScript, but that too was in its infancy and easy enough to understand. Both technologies could easily be mastered by anyone who was a quick study and put in the effort.

At some point, there was a movement toward some sort of uniqueness. Companies proudly showed off the fact that they had websites, but they longed for their own identity. They were sick of looking like everyone else. That’s when the concept of a “web designer” sort of took off. Those guys somehow figured out how to make something pretty while still working within the limited confines of what HTML and JavaScript was capable of. They were rockstars.

Early on, I wanted to be one of them. I fancied myself as a fairly creative type, so I tried to emulate them. Unfortunately, I never could quite put together a worthy skillset to excel in that arena. My Photoshop game left much to be desired. So, I stuck to the lower-level design stuff and just dabbled with adding a few visual elements here and there.

Then I discovered the concept of server-side scripting languages, which allowed websites to communicate with databases on the web server level. This opened up an infinite world of possibilties and I was hooked. Sadly, in making that transition, I had to admit that I was likely more left-brained than I thought…not that it was a bad thing. I didn’t mind it and I was learning something new, which is always a good thing. I just wished that I would have realized it earlier. I would have spent much more time feeding my analytical brain. Sure, I still dabble in the right-brain creative stuff, but the left-brain is what pays the bills for me. So here I am.

Over the years, I stuck to what I knew, but around me, the world was changing, and I wasn’t paying attention. Web technology had exploded and I was becoming a dinosaur. Eventually, I found myself at a crossroads, having painted myself into a corner with a set of aged and obsolete skills. I realized that I had to make some giant leaps forward to try and catch up. I’m still working on that and I’ve still got a long way to go. The worst part is feeling like I am starting all over. Instant Humble Pie. Order up.

So, I’ve used WordPress before I started working on this site. Or more acurately, I’ve attempted to use WordPress before. I never did get the hang of blogging, but that’s mostly because I had this idea in my head that to blog about something you needed to be an expert, and I don’t claim to be an expert at anything. Most blogs I’ve read seemed to be written by people who seemed to know their heads from their asses. Who was I to think I knew enough about anything to qualify having a blog? Sure, I could probably write about any number of things, but who would read content written by someone who just “sort of” knows what he’s talking about?

As of late, I realized…who the hell cares? I am not trying to gather a following. I mean…that would be cool, but this site is mostly for my own purposes. I’ve only just recently begun to dabble in the very deep realm of WordPress development in an effort to modernize my skillset. So, the main reason for the site is to act as a sort of sandbox for me to learn as I go. As I was learning the ropes as far as the programming part of it, I got to thinking that maybe it’s high time I gave the platform another shot for blogging. I figured it would be a good way to practice programming concepts, and have a little fun at the same time. And if no one but myself ends up reading it…well, so be it.

Great story, but isn’t there more to you than work?

Good question.

Yes.

Ummm…could you elaborate on that?

I was afraid you were going to ask that.

Yes…but not right now. I’m having a hard enough time staring down the summary of my career in a handful of paragraphs. It feels weird to me. Perhaps I’ll get used to the idea at some point and add on, but for now, in the interest of trying to get this site pushed live already, I’m going to put a pin in it and call it “good enough for now.”