When I learn things from people I’ve never met, I believe there’s certainly a reason why we come across, and I feel better every time. In this post, I will share what I learned from a software engineer I met about 3 years ago. So, here comes the second one of my internet memoirs.
Leaving my name and contact information to a language practice site that is no longer alive, I was waiting for one of the online members to give me a call. As I always do, I have written sports, music and technology among my interests. After waiting a good while and didn’t get a call, I decided to close the page and eat something. When I finished lunch and looked at my phone, I saw I had a missed call. I immediately returned the call and started talking to the gentleman at the other end of the line.
We introduced ourselves respectively. He was a Latvian software engineer. He was working for a company that produces domestic software. So, I explained, excitedly, how interested I was in these topics. Told him that I had a blog, that I was translating and that I was tech nerd. After taking a look at my blog, he said that you should write in English. The following year, this would come true.
As our conversation progressed, I also realized he had an interesting personality. He was a person quite loyal to his daily routine. He’d sleep early in the evening and get up early in the morning. Since he spent most of his day outside, he was carrying everything he might need during the day in a large backpack. From electronic equipment to food, personal care products to spare clothes that he doesn’t take away from his bag just in case.
“I like to be prudent against every situation. This way, I can also help people in need. I carry a serious weight on my shoulders every day but I’m okay with that.” he said. For that time, he said he didn’t have any opportunity to go to another country except Estonia and Lithuania. So, I said, as you all know, I’ve never been abroad. And there’s not much to be ashamed of in this.
After talking for a while, it came to smartphones. At that time, I was using an LG G4. I was quite surprised when I heard that he was using a Galaxy S2. I told him what we would all think of. “It’s a miracle that phone could even function”.
First, he laughed a little and said: “You may be right. I got this phone 3 years ago. For now, it has no other issues besides the battery drain. When I purchased the cellphone, it was still quite expensive. And I can’t afford a new phone for now. I’m thinking about how I can make the most of what I have in my hands. The battery runs out very quickly, but I also have a spare battery in my famous backpack” he said. Considering his high salary, it was obvious that he did not express this idea with defensive psychology.
To him, to follow the technology closely, rather than investing heavily in every new device that comes out, is to make the most of the devices we have and to invest in technologies that will make our lives easier in real terms. It’s not too hard to read all the time and know what those products can do even without our hands on.
I thought that he was right and earned my respect. After talking for a little more, we said goodbye to each other to continue another time. He was using the same phone in our following conversations. After some time, we lost contact. Unfortunately.
A Latvian software engineer who carries a lot of things with him all the time, using old phones, old computers, but is happy, full of life. He probably doesn’t use S2 now, but I’m sure he still uses a cellphone that suits his criteria. I learned a lot from what he said. I use a cellphone with as many features as I need. I cannot afford to buy the best one anyway.
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