Hard work, like hard labor work for instance can be totally rewarding. If again, it is not for *the man* and you don’t have to do it all the time. Working till you sweat and then still working and actually seeing a physical result. That is awesome.

On the opposite side, one of the things I have to keep reminding my managers now is that just because you see me online at 11pm doesn’t mean I’m working harder than anyone else on the team — it just means that 11pm is when I’m FEELING IT. I may not have been feeling it at 2pm, so I went to pick up my dry cleaning instead. What I’m doing is using my time efficiently: working when my mind is ready to write or code, and getting other things done when I can’t focus for shit. I’m happy to be recognized for my productivity, but please note that it’s not from working late — it’s from working smart.

as for people thinking that because you’re not working in the traditional sense (for someone else) that you’re lazy…that’s just capitalism talking. there are plenty other productive ways to spend your time, and i for one wish i’d NEVER had a job during my high school years so that i could have had more time to enjoy that period of life instead of being stuck inside the mall working for minimum wage every weekend. what’s funny here is that even though i always had a job - sometimes 2 - my parents also worried for some reason that i wasn’t going to do well in post-college life, but i think for different reasons. i think parents just worry about their childrens’ futures, and sometimes it seems to come out ways that aren’t necessarily logical.

i think you’ve blazed an amazing trail of solid work for someone your age, and assume you work much smarter at it than most people i know holding down the office space.