You reply in the comments, and i try to guess your age based on a short conversation we have. That’s it!
I am an antenna engineer and I quit because I hated the company I worked for as they embraced the corporate American model.
Wow, antenna engineer is a new one for me haha. So what have you been doing since then/plan to do now that you’ve quit the old job?
Basically I do what I want when I want. Typically building things. I’m constantly fixing or modifying my cars(they are all old and constantly broken). And I play a lot of disc golf.
Mmm, so you’re at that point where you feel like you don’t need to go back to working, at least for the meantime?
Correct.
Do you have friends that you spend some time with as well outside your other hobbies. Maybe going to a bar or some other event on a regular - semi-regular basis?
Man I answered and I don’t see it.
Yes. I play disc golf with some. Get together infrequently with some close long-term friends, pay video games online every Monday with my best friend that moved to the UK and zoom with a couple of high school buddies every month or so.
That’s nice that you still have a group of people surrounding you. So I’m guessing you’re quite satisfied with the way things are going? You aren’t really looking for any change at the moment?
Hello there!
Hey buddy! What goals are you working towards right now?
Wow, that’s kinda tough to answer without revealing a lot of clues about my age!
Let’s see, I guess I’m trying to be more mindful of my body in taking care of it. But it’s not going so well :/
Also trying to find some motivation/energy/time to play some video games since I didn’t have too much access to them while growing up
What made you want to start caring more for your body? Are you talking more in terms of losing weight or just getting fit?
Don’t feel pressured into answering if you don’t want to
Getting fit. Mostly about staying active. I realised I could be a lot better not just in sports but also daily life in general if I put in some efforts towards being fit
Oh yeah i definitely agree with that. I just had a huge scare when it came to my health that requires me to stay fit in order to not “relapse”, so i try to do at least cardio everyday.
You said you’re trying to get into video games. What video games have you played so far, or are currently eyeing?
I wanna make my way through the Valve classics. Portal and the Half life series. Ooh and Satisfactory has also caught my eye!
A lot of cool games there. Tell me about your interpersonal relationships. With friends, family and maybe even a partner. Which if these are you trying to develop, or striving for something more in?
5318008!
And to that good sir, i respond 93N15
Nice. But how old am I???
You’re 14
Ahhh nope calculator only days. Give you a hint, my calculator looked like an owl. Or something like that.
Don’t tell me you’re in your early 40s. 43 maybe
Much closer! 50 next month! And I’m a girl BTW. 😜
Holy hell. Sorry for calling you 14 mom
Hey,
Just came home sick from work… I live in Australia so sick leave is alright…
How you doing?
Oh crikey mate. Hope you’re getting better now.
Sorry about the bad joke, i couldn’t resist. I’m doing well myself. What do you do for work?
Ahh, I’m always up for a laugh.
I work disability support, which is really rewarding a lot of the time. I love helping people and giving people a reason to laugh…
How about you? What do you do?
Disability support is wonderful. It’s honourable of you to do that even with the relatively low wages that come along with it - I mean i don’t know about Australia, but salaries aren’t awfully high in a lot of countries. How do you manage?
I’m still a student; I’m studying psychology. I’m still thinking about whether i want to go to grad school or pivot into something else.
It’s a rough job.
Kind people who want to help others rarely do so for the money, and employers know that. I’m not getting a great wage but it’s better than the minimum which is lovely - but we do get the minimum we can possibly be paid…
My wife is a teacher, too… Talk about under appreciated.
Psychology is fun to look into… What’d be the end result if you furthered your psychology study? What’d be your goal for your career?
What if you do change? What next?
I’ve rarely stuck with any line of work over 3 years and I’ve learned a lot by working the variety of jobs I’ve had, but can never expect decent pay sadly.
Oh teaching😬. You guys really decided to tap into the four horsemen of low paying jobs huh. Here’s hoping things get better for you guys.
Psychology is fun. It’s the right amount of challenge and interest to keep my unfocused brain hooked. If i did go to grad school i would go into cognitive psychology and potentially get a PhD to do research. The brain is just so fascinating, and being able to immediately apply what you learn in class is what makes it even better.
If I however decide that i don’t want to go to grad school, I’d most likely go into market research - all things being equal. It’s the most sensible application of my love for research and problem solving. I’d probably have to get some certifications, but i think it’s worth it, and pay is not too terrible after I get a few years of experience. I guess i just have to determine what i want in life. Do i want to be confined to the four walls of an institution for decades or work a normal job.
Why is it that you were never able to stick to one job? Also, what programme (if you went at all) did you go to university for?
Ok go
I see you like politics a lot, so I’m guessing you’re American?
Americans don’t LIKE politics. Talking about politics is like seeing a skunk on your daily walk. The conversation switches IMMEDIATELY from whatever you were doing, to suddenly making plans for how we’re all going to be ok after this.
You choose the topic.
Alright let’s go. What’s your favourite movie/film genre? And what are some movies/films that fall under it?
No movie genre really stands out to me. I like movies of all genres.
So then what are your favourite movies/films in general?
Lord of the Rings, the Game of Thrones movie, the fourth Matrix.
Game of Thrones is based even though they ruined the last 2 seasons. Still haven’t gotten the time to watch LoTR though.
The fourth matrix? That’s an unpopular choice. I’ve yet to meet someone who enjoyed that last movie. They should’ve left it at the 3rd one.
I watched the first three a while ago but they felt dragged on and not very eye-opening. The fourth one had a good sense of interpretation to it.
Interesting. What are some of your other passtimes?
My brain is skibidi tier rotten and I have absolutely no money in my pockets, but Boxxy is still the queen and fr fr nobody can prove me wrong.
…sorry, I’m doing it on purpose to throw you off tracks. How’s going?
The grammar pedant in me did not appreciate that first paragraph.
It’s going great for now. Tell me about some of your niche interests. Nerd out about it if you want
If it’s any consolation, the grammar pedant in me didn’t like it either. Even if I was the one writing it. (Also, I’m glad that things are going great for you.)
As for niche interests: gardening, cooking, simulation games, constructed languages, ancient languages. Some tidbits of oil painting, but frankly, I suck at it; perhaps I should stick to digital watercolours. (This reminds me Island - the main character was recalling his travels through Switzerland, his mum painting a watercolour, and his dad sarcastically saying “The milk chocolate advertisement that [brand] rejected.”)
But I digress. My gardening is currently pepper plants, I’m trying to breed a new variety following very specific criteria - heat, colour, shape, size. Once I’m done I’m going to spread the seeds here and there, through the city, as some small act of anarchy.
That’s a lot of niche interests. Constructed languages particularly are quite the interesting… interest. I never bothered with it because i found no utility for them.
How long have you been gardening?
Well, constructed languages aren’t something insanely useful, unless you’re into Linguistics or also into constructed worlds. For the former, it’s a good way to explore some “boundaries” of natural languages - conlangs can go beyond natlangs in certain features, but the opposite is almost never true. And for the later it’s that extra step to make the world within a story feel livelier, fleshing out the culture of its inhabitants.
Although my reasons are probably not too far from Tolkien’s, who called constructed languages a “secret vice”. It’s mostly for fun.
How long have you been gardening?
Five years or so, I guess? I mean, beyond simple stuff like planting radishes in my backyard as a kid. I still joke about it with my mum - she outright hated it. “My house is no farm dammit!” (The radishes tasted great though.)
You make a good point about conlangs that’s for sure. At some point, i was deep in the Toki Pona rabbit hole, but decided I’d rather spend that time learning Spanish or German, since I’d like to visit countries that use those languages some day.
What do you do for a living?
If you’re into language learning for pragmatic reasons then I think that the only conlang that could be useful would be Esperanto, and even then it’s like squeezing water from a rock. (I do it mostly for the fun, though. That’s also my attitude towards ancient languages - I’m not exactly using Latin everyday, and Sanskrit will be likely in the same bag.)
German is a great choice but be aware that proficient German/English bilinguals tend to use English as soon as they notice that you can speak it. It’s kind of funny because I’ve seen French speakers with the opposite reaction - as if one side saw a language as a tool, another as a cultural root. (It’s both.)
What do you do for a living?
I’m a translator by trade. I stick mostly to Portuguese, Italian, and English - those are the languages that I’m actually proficient with. Sometimes I pick something from German too, but I don’t typically translate things into German to avoid going full “ich bin ein Berliner”, like that American president. (That reminds me that I promised the old lady next-door to give her some Berlin balls once I prepare them. Her avocado ice cream was amazing. Also, sorry for the amount of off-topic that I tend to go into, but I guess that it’s more data to guess my age?)
Oh you’re a translator, i guess that explains the fascination with languages. How did you get into it, and how long have you been doing it?
Also, sorry for the amount of off-topic that I tend to go into, but I guess that it’s more data to guess my age?)
I was just gonna say, you go on a lot of tangents lmao, but yes it should all help when i deliver the coup de grace
I think this is a pretty entertaining game. Good idea
Thanks. Ready to get your age guessed?
Looking forward to it! Do your worst!
Alright let’s start. What do you do to wind down when you’re done for the day?
Cook dinner, and right now I’m watching Yellowstone Season 2.
If I weren’t doing that, I would likely be playing a video game.
Ooh I haven’t seen Yellowstone. I hear it’s good though.
What video games do you typically play?
Yellowstone is fantastic! I’m loving it
Right now I am playing a lot of Balatro, some Satisfactory, some BG3, some No Mans Sky. Minecraft is also regularly in rotation.
Ooh, an OG gamer. I like it. So far so normal. Everything you’ve said has been pretty run of the mill 20s to 30s hobbies.
At your current stage of life, do you feel like there’s still more to be explored or that you’ve attained self actualisation?
Ooo, do me. I pledge to answer correctly and not try to throw you off the track as long as it’s not some dangerous personal info or something. I’d like to see how close you get.
Okay, let’s try to get some general information out of you before heading into specifics. What do you currently do for a living?
I quit my job.
Oh wow. What did you do prior, and if you care to share, what was your reason for quitting?
Let’s see what you got. I like to longboard. I’m pretty big into hip-hop, metal core, and viking metal. I’m also quite passionate about OpSec and Cyber Security.
Cool, that’s a lot of interest! What are some of your favourite artists or bands in those genres, and viking metal? That’s a first lol
Ski Mask tha Slump God, Del Tha Funky Homosapien, Die Antwoord, Polaris, Architects, Knocked Loose. uhh… Tyr, Amon Amarth, Ensiferum. Think that’s a pretty broad net.
How do i not know any of these except for Die Antwoord💀. Yeah, it’s pretty broad i tell ya.
Longboarding, one of theore dangerous boarding activities. How long have you been doing that?
Viking metal eh? I recently found Brothers of Metal and they’re banging. What else do you recommend?
Tyr is really good and similar to Brothers of Metal. Check out Hold the Heathen Hammer High. If you want heavier, I’d recommend Amon Amarth or Ensiferum. The songs Axe of Judgement, One Man Army, or Twilight of the Thunder God get my blood pumping something fierce
Thanks for the recommendations, I will check everything out!
I’ll play, though I may not be fully forthcoming, depending on the questions.
Alright, let’s start easy. What are some of your hobbies?
Lorcana, video games
Some quick googling tells me it’s a card collecting game. What differentiates this game from other games that have a similar mechanic?
It’s based on Disney
What draws you in personally about the game?
Community
Alright, outside of video games, what else gets your interest?
I am staying up later than usually. How about you?
That’s funny cuz my sleep schedule is kinda shit right now. It’s currently midnight, and i woke up about an hour ago.
What’s causing you to stay up late?
I’m editing openstreetmap
Wait what? What do you mean by editing openstreetmap?
If you don’t know what openstreetmap is, it is a collaborative project to create a map of the world. I’m a contributor in my spare time, and I like adding new places, roads and the like. Think of it as wikipedia, but for a map of the world.
Oh, i know opeenstreetmap, but I didn’t know it was like a Wikipedia for maps. That’s lit. I think I’ve found a new hobby haha.
So why is editing maps keeping you up so late. Do you have a passion for geography or just feel obligated to contribute?
Sometimes I get a bit carried away and it gets late. There is always more to map, so the work is never done. That’s why I need to make projects and finish them one by one to feel like I’m making progress. It’s very rewarding to resolve notes that other people have left, because that means that I helped someone, and that makes me happy :)
Oh that’s very honourable. We need more people like you in this world. So tell me about your work life. What do you do to make a living?
What’s happening, youngster?
Okay, if you’re not Gen X then i would be disappointed. How’s the family?
Not Gen X, dude. I just got back from a hockey game I played in with a couple guys in an adult league though.
Not gen X but calling me youngster? I wonder how old you are really🤔
How did the game go?
I was trying to throw you off. I’m 37. We won 7-2
Okay, mid millennial. Oh well. Congrats on the win
Come at me bro
Okay bro, what do you feel like you’re missing out on?
Life in general tbh
Can you go into more detail about that? Maybe you spend so much of your time indoors and online, and wish to be outside and hanging out with friends. Maybe you’re looking for a relationship. Or maybe it’s a combination of both and/or more things. Tell me more
Mm I spend almost all my time outdoors and I go out to socialize at least 3x a week. But a friend of mine died recently. Everything feels hollow and meaningless. I guess I don’t feel like my life has a purpose – a fairly common and first-world problem to have, but a problem nevertheless.
Sorry to hear about your friend’s passing. It’s completely normal to feel hollow after the passing of someone important to. Don’t feel a need to diminish your problems because they are first world. A problem is a problem. How have you been coping with this?
Been writing about it and sharing memories with people who knew my friend. It will take time.
I want to touch as many people’s lives as they did. As I am right now/the way my life is now, that is not on track to happen. Need to change things.
You will move past this; I guarantee it.
Do you feel like the career path you chose is not in line with your goal of touching people’s lives? Or you’ve simply lost your sense of direction as a result of your friend’s passing?
I play video games, like sports, eat my vegitables, and think the world is currently a dumpster fire.
