I wish I had seen this 20 years ago. I did some horrible things in c++ that I would be embarrassed to see today. It was a fun language to explore though, and I learned much from it.
Java is pretty solid, but not percieved as cutting edge anymore, even though they are still improving it. I think Oracle has done a better job then I originally expected. I think the ecosystem is by far it's biggest advantage. It's a integration target for many projects just because it has such wide adoption.
I had a hard time buying the cards at first. I think this was due to the fact that creativity is hard to put a value on. I ended up buying two packs (I gave one as a gift), and I can honestly say that I have used them hundreds of times. I think the price of the pack actually forces you to get your money's worth out of it. Being creative in your life is one of the best investments you can make.
Another thing to think about is that these responses may cross generations. i.e the anxiety someone experiences today may be due to trauma suffered by thier grandparents. The mind is a wonderful thing, but there is so much that we don't understand about it/ourselves.
As I look back on my career, there have been things that I learned early on that I still am able to leverage today (i.e. bash, linux, vim, java). There are a slew of other technologies that didn't last (i.e. DCOM, Corba, J++, J2EE). If I'm going to invest my time in learning, I'd like to realize some return on time. Granted there are cool experimental technologies that I learn with the realization that they may not be around in a couple years, but I can plan/architect around that.
Thank you for sharing. I'm glad your still here to relate your story. I think speaking these things is an important part of the healing process. Pax et bonum.
Ubunutu LTS. I've been using Linux since the STS days (about 50 3.5 floppy disks). I used to compile my own kernels, enter clock timings for my video driver, but now I'm older and just want an OS that works.
Linux still has video driver issues, but once those things are worked out, it's pretty solid. It's still possible to screw up your bios settings, so be careful there.
For open source development projects, it has great/the best support.
UI is still bad, but I use IDEs and command line. Those things provide some consistency across all the failed window systems.