[evilduck]

Programming is essentially not taught in U.S. high schools (it's sometimes available as an elective which most people don't take and it's almost never taught by someone who had any background in software development).

When I tell most people that I'm a computer programmer, I get blank stares because they just don't have any concept of what it entails. It's completely magic to them and I usually end up describing it as analyzing business problems and translating those requirements into software, but they still don't have a clue as to the actual mechanics of programming since they've never been exposed to it in real life. That, or they ask me if I could take a look at their router and then I have to explain "that's not what I do".

It's probably a "grass is always greener" situation, but I'd often enjoy being able to relate my career to average people who share a minimal amount of common understanding, even if it's just to tell me they hate it. I don't expect education to make people like a subject.