[jemmyw]

39. I've noticed that as I age I seem to write less code and it goes further. I would guess that over the years I've honed in on the patterns that work and need far fewer intermediate steps. The only problem is that I am aware it's become a little harder to learn new techniques. Part of that is motivation though, there's more going on in my life now and I enjoy my spare time more, so it's not actually a bad thing.

Also I noticed that you mention missing out on being a prodigy. Nobody should aspire to that, that's a set up for disappointment, either by not achieving it or by flaming out early. A lot of kid prodigies don't actually go on to become successful in their field. Breadth of experience appears to be more important.