Functioning Cog

I am a functioning cog. I never thought I was a special snowflake or that I would do something to change the world. I am very comfortable with the idea that we are all here simply to work together and be as kind as possible. Kurt Vonnegut put it perfectly, “Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you’ve got a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies-”God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.” Unfortunately with all the inequality, war and hurt throughout the world, not many people share this worldview with Mr. Vonnegut and I.

However, as I’ve learned more about the culture of computer programming, I find that a lot of groups push towards bettering the world and being kind to others. I see this on the large scale, such as Google connecting the world more and more — not only making it easier to learn about each other, but also making it easy to collaborate. I see it on a medium scale, such as Karlie Kloss’ “Kode with Klossy” that focuses on empowering women in a field dominated by men. I even see it in my own little city of Fort Wayne where apps like Instagram and Snapchat are helping everyday to push people towards downtown development.

As September 26 gets closer and closer, I get more and more excited about being part of something that is truly changing the world for the better. I find myself daydreaming about working at a firm, climbing the ladder, becoming a role model for the people around me. I think about how I want to help small businesses through developing websites at a cost that’s realistic for their size. Before my journey towards Iron Yard, I didn’t have these ambitions or dreams. I was just a cog acting alone, achieving nothing. I still believe that I am no more special than any one else, or that I can change the world alone. However, I am excited to be a cog in a machine that truly can make the world a little kinder.