Lawhon, Alan C Contractor/Morgan Research
alan.lawhon at us.army.mil
Tue Feb 22 09:45:38 CST 2005
Mark: Quite an inspiring story - to say the least! I guess I was "lucky" in that I never got to the point of selling my blood, but I (definitely) know the anxiety and apprehension that comes with not knowing where your next meal will come from. During my illustrious "career," I have had jobs both "high" and "low" ... including weekend disc jockey at a radio station (a definite "high") and cleaning up dog shit in an animal hospital. (Talk about a job that stunk ...) I worked my butt off in a manufacturing plant to get myself thru college - which took the better part of six years. If I had to go thru all that again, I don't know if I would make it, but I was young - in my twenties and early thirties. I guess we do what we have to do to survive ... For about the last twelve years, I have had this "programming" job - which I kind of stumbled in to. (Not bad for an orphan, huh?) I don't have a lot of the "things" which are considered signs of success - like a wife, kids, and a mortgage - but I'm not sure if that is really a bad thing. (My poker playing buddies keep telling me to NEVER get married.) My sister, who graduated from a "prestigious" high class university, has managed to waste her life in a morass of drugs, blown opportunities, and poor choices. My (younger) brother hasn't done much better, so maybe I'm the lucky one ... I'm about to reach the big "50" (fifty years old), so I guess I qualify for being "over the hill" and on the down slope, but [somehow] I've managed to survive ... I guess my greatest fault is that I'm much too cynical (and suspicious) about people and their motivations, but I have found that a healthy sense of paranoia is a definite survival skill. All things considered, I have probably been very lucky. There are guys I grew up with in the Baptist Children's Home who are in prison - and will be there for the rest of their lives. At least I didn't wind up like that ... Alan C. Lawhon -----Original Message----- From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Mark A Matte Sent: Monday, February 21, 2005 3:39 PM To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com Subject: RE: [AccessD] OT: What are you lot doing now and then? Steve, Here's my long version. When I got out of the military in 1999...I ended up in a 'not so good' situation...pretty much homeless and unemployed in an area where I knew no one...and as I found out, didn't really have a marketable skill. I went to a temp service, sold blood and plasma, cleaned bathrooms, fished (because it was free food if I caught something), and about anything else for cash. The first day of my ordeal I actually cleaned a compost heap..to get gas money..to go sell blood. It was not a pretty time in my life. >From these odd jobs I saved enough money to KOA campground across the states(back near family and could get work). A few days before I left...the temp service called and asked if I would do one more job...they needed an 'Access Programmer'...I explained I was not a programmer...I just knew a little about access...they explained my resume 'implied' I was...I said no...they said they would pay me 17.50 to try for 3 days(12.50 more than everything else I was doing)...I apologized for the misunderstanding...OF COURSE I'm a programmer...I'll be right over. I figured I could wing it for 3 days...double the cash in my pocket...and be on my way. As it turns out...the 3 days were to 'test' to see if I could do the job( which I almost could). I used all of my money on calling cards...and got techie friends from New York, New Orleans, and Chicago to help walk me through the test project. At this point...my game plan was to pull this off for a few weeks( or as long as I could get away with it). As it turns out...databases just make sense to me...and Access was alot more powerful than what I realized and that its main limitation was the imagination of the user/programmer. Within 6 months I was rolling out automated reporting packages to every mill in their corporation. I used Access to tie all of their Informix DBs together and gave them analysis they never thought possible. After 1 year...they decided no more independant contractors...I put the resume out...and spent the next 12 months 'consulting' (as they called it) for some very large companies. I now have a 'permanent' job...but still do some Access work on the side. I use Access on a daily basis in my current job...because no matter what platform/DB they use...I still find Access to be the most useful tool to pull the data in for some local analysis. My computer is riddled with little Access Apps that I've created to make my own life easier...for example...I have a Task Manager that I send a replicated copy to my manager in another state for our 1on 1's...I got switched to Hourly...so I have a TimeClock db running in the background so I know when to leave...there are some reports that I need to generate every week...so...I have a db that I launch once a week that imports/cleans/formats/exports(word and excel) all in one motion. Right now (in my current position) I am considered an Access Guru/Expert(apparently they don't know the people on this list), the Subject Matter Expert on about 4 different apps (ranging from PS and Powerbuilder to Informix and DB2)...and if there is an old app they have lost documentation on...I get sent the data model and the code behind the front end and asked to fill in the holes. To make a long story short...I have NO degrees or certifications...self taught at everything I do...well respected by my cooleages and well paid..and If I have to look back and figure out what brought all of the pieces together in my life (which some say is successful)..that is very easy for me...its 2 part...they day I dove head first into MS Access...and the day I joined this list. Without either of those 2 events I would probably still be selling blood to get groceries. In the military I was taught 'to adapt and overcome'...Access, in my opinion, is the perfect match for this phrase. Again, thanks to everyone on this list...because without it...I wouldn't be. Thanks, Mark A. Matte Customer Care Network Sears, Roebuck and Co. >From: "Hale, Jim" <Jim.Hale at fleetpride.com> >Reply-To: Access Developers discussion and problem >solving<accessd at databaseadvisors.com> >To: "'Access Developers discussion and problem >solving'"<accessd at databaseadvisors.com> >Subject: RE: [AccessD] OT: What are you lot doing now and then? >Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2005 13:04:53 -0600 > >No problem from me. >Jim Hale > >-----Original Message----- >From: Steve Erbach [mailto:erbachs at gmail.com] >Sent: Monday, February 21, 2005 6:44 AM >To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving >Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: What are you lot doing now and then? > > >Roz, Gustav, John C., Gary, Jeffrey, Jim D. Doris, Debbie, Brett, >Charlotte, Ken, Mark, John B., Stuart, William, Rocky, Jim L., Jim H., >Andy, Randy, and Tom, > >Thank you all very much for your responses. Our glorious leader, Mr. >Bartow, has asked me to write an article for the newsletter based on >the responses you've given. So I'm asking if any of you have any >objections to letting me abridge your responses for that purpose? It >would also be helpful if those of you who already gave an "abridged" >version for the survey could flesh out your responses a bit, if you >have the time. I would appreciate it. Everyone has an interesting >story to tell about his or her own growth in the computer field. > >I'm so glad that 21 of you have responded so far. Any others? > >Steve Erbach >Neenah, WI >www.swerbach.com/security > > > >On Mon, 21 Feb 2005 09:27:17 -0000, Roz Clarke ><roz.clarke at donnslaw.co.uk> wrote: > > 1) Currently management and development of workflows in a rather nasty >legal > > application. No proper coding at all. :( > > 2) Used to do a lot with Access & Office integration, and reporting from > > various back-end data sources (informix, oracle, etc.). The shift is >really > > down to moving into management and not being able to do that and >maintain/ > > improve my technical skills at the same time. > > 3) Company (law firm), 250 employees, Tom's team leader <waves> > > 4) No > > > > Roz >-- >AccessD mailing list >AccessD at databaseadvisors.com >http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd >Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > >*********************************************************************** >The information transmitted is intended solely for the individual or >entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or >privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or >other use of or taking action in reliance upon this information by >persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. >If you have received this email in error please contact the sender and >delete the material from any computer. 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