Personal on Og Maciel's Journal

Questions for a Happier 2026

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Questions for a Happier 2026

Not resolutions, but reflections on what actually mattered

Questions for a Happier 2026

This is my final post of 2025.

I want to start by saying thank you. Truly.Life in Rough Draft exists because you read, reply, reflect, and occasionally tell me that something here landed at the right moment. That quiet exchange—writer to reader—is what keeps this space alive.

If these essays have resonated with you this year, the simplest way to support this work is also the easiest: share a post with a friend, tap the ❤️, or restack it with a few words of your own. Those small gestures help these pieces find the people who might need them—and they let me know what’s connecting.

Nineteen Years Ago, I Shipped a Reminder

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Nineteen Years Ago, I Shipped a Reminder

How BillReminder, Glade, and a stubborn love of simplification shaped my early years in open source.

BillReminder screens

I recently wrote about some of the reasons why I do what I do, especially when it comes to the professional path I’ve taken. It started long before software, back when I wanted to be a scientist—working in genetic recombination and gene therapy, trying to help people overcome genetic conditions as early as possible, ideally before they ever had to live with the consequences of them.

Confessions of a Teenage Emblem Thief

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Confessions of a Teenage Emblem Thief

“The Big Score” by Og Maciel

I was fourteen when I first heard about people who “harvested” car emblems for the thrill of it. Nobody in my small coastal town had even imagined such a thing—which, in my mind, meant I had the advantage of being the first to try. Over the next four or five months, I taught a handful of trusted friends the quiet finesse required to pry an emblem loose without leaving a scratch. I became something of a connoisseur, only going after the really special ones—novelty emblems, rare designs, or the irresistible shield-shaped badge on the Ford Del Rey Ghia. I could never have too many of those.

The Day in 1997 When the World Went Quiet

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Day in 1997 When the World Went Quiet

Actual correspondence from 1997

Yesterday, when I wrote about the time I used to go fishing with a friend in that very polluted lake in New Jersey as a way to have something to do and hang out after long hours of studying and waiting for my friends to be done with work, it reminded me of another similar story that happened to me. I know the exact date because, while going through some of my old notes and writings from before I was even married, I found a letter I wrote to someone telling this story.

Fishing, 90s Style: Banana Boats and Questionable Lakes

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Fishing, 90s Style: Banana Boats and Questionable Lakes

Photo by Jed Owen on Unsplash

There was a time in the 90s when my favorite hobby—other than playing video games—was fishing. I actually owned several tackle boxes, a multitude of lures and hooks, and all the paraphernalia you’d expect: nets, rods, you name it. I had it.

Back then, most of my friends were working part-time jobs—delivery boys, stockroom helpers—anything to make some cash for gas or to keep up with the car payments for the “fancy” cars they thought they could afford. Meanwhile, I was busy with school, studying hard, and trying to keep my grades up because I thought I wanted to pursue an MD/PhD program. By the time I was done studying and my friends were done working, it was already past 10 or 11 at night.

Confessions of a Horror Lover Who's Scared of Horror

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Confessions of a Horror Lover Who’s Afraid of Horror

Photo by m wrona on Unsplash

Okay, I have a confession to make. Maybe it’s a confession and a fact. I’ll start with the fact first: I probably own around a hundred or more books that fall into the category of horror or weird fiction.

That’s mostly because, years ago, a good friend of mine was transitioning from married life to single life and moving to a smaller place. He needed to downsize, and very reluctantly decided to part with some of his books. He sent me a message with a long list of titles and asked if I might be interested in buying a few to help him out.

Sorting Through a Hard Week

Sat, 15 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Sorting Through a Hard Week

Photo by Chris Liverani on Unsplash

This Saturday, I’m accompanying my wife to a workshop she’s helping put together here in Hillsborough, North Carolina. The event is at the public library, and while she’ll be busy for a few hours, I decided to carve out some quiet time for myself—find a corner, gather my thoughts, and get some reading done. I’m nearly finished with one of the books I’ve been slowly working through over the last few days, but my mind has also been very preoccupied with work. That shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s been reading my posts lately.

Trying to Read While Life Happens

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Trying to Read While Life Happens

Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash

Yesterday, after the long day I had, my wife, one of my daughters, and I went to a jazz concert at UNC, something my daughter needed to attend for one of her classes. It was scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m., with the UNC Jazz Band performing alongside special guest Alex Graham. Turns out the North Carolina Symphony was also in town performing in the larger, more modern adjacent theater, which meant it took us extra time to get there. Finding parking was especially hard, but thanks to the kindness of one attendant protecting the neighborhood lots from concert-goers, we managed to find a spot only a few minutes’ walk from the Moeser Auditorium.

Finding My Feet Again

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Finding My Feet Again

Photo by Japheth Mast on Unsplash

Dear reader and friends,

It’s been a chaotic last three days at work, the kind where I can barely find time to breathe or do anything personal beyond being with my family. Work has consumed every single minute, and I’ve faced challenges that pushed me to the brink more than once. I’d be lying if I said the easier route — throwing in the towel — didn’t cross my mind. The comfort of giving up can be surprisingly tempting. There were moments when I had to talk myself off the ledge, reminding myself not to stop caring, not to disconnect, not to shut down.

When the Armor Slips

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

When the Armor Slips

Photo by Nik Shuliahin 💛💙 on Unsplash

Yesterday, I wrote about how my day began with the very difficult task of letting someone go. Even though that meeting lasted only fifteen minutes, it took a lot out of me. Little did I know, that was just the beginning of what turned into a chaotic day filled with multitasking, back-to-back calls (both scheduled and ad hoc), and trying to balance competing priorities and distractions from morning to night.

Locked Out of the Kitchen: A Software Engineer's Tale

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Locked Out of the Kitchen: A Software Engineer’s Saturday

Photo by Taylor Grote on Unsplash

It’s a Saturday afternoon in early November, and instead of daydreaming about the holidays or planning what I’ll do during our annual office shutdown—a much-appreciated week off right before the end of the year—I find myself working. Babysitting, really. I’m watching over our build system for one of the projects we’re trying to wrap up in the next few days.

My Origin Story: The Job That Broke Me

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

My Origin Story: The Job That Broke Me

Photo by Rudi Endresen on Unsplash

You can now read My Origin Story in order — from the very beginning — on its dedicated page:

👉 Read the full series here

There are moments in life when you don’t notice the ground shifting beneath you until it finally cracks. Leaving Synaptic wasn’t a dramatic exit. Nobody threw a chair. There were no fireworks, no screaming matches, no dramatic firings. It was quieter than that. Heavier than that. It was a slow unraveling.

The Day I Was Rescued by Firefighters

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Day I Was “Rescued” by Firefighters While Learning to Code

Photo by Nik on Unsplash

I guess I must be going through a nostalgic spree or something, because yesterday, as I wrote about keyboards and my experience with Linux — and even the project I’ve been working on, trying to write a few words every night — is also part of a memory from my childhood. And today, I find myself thinking of the day when I had to be, quote-unquote, rescued by the firemen after being stuck in a hotel room once.

A Writer's Best Friend: A Proper Keyboard

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A Writer’s Best Friend? A Proper Keyboard

I’m a bona fide computer geek and have been one for quite some time. I guess the fact that I started using Linux back when just getting the X Window Server up and running (for those who don’t know, that’s what lets you have a graphical interface instead of a blinking command line) was considered unnecessary—but still required what felt like a PhD to configure—instead of simply using Windows “like everyone else,” might have been a dead giveaway.

I Asked AI to Analyze My Reading Habits. My Wallet Almost Didn’t Survive.

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I Asked AI to Analyze My Reading Habits. My Wallet Almost Didn’t Survive.

Okay, I confess—I was bored, somewhere between watching an episode of Such Brave Girls and reading, so I opened ChatGPT and asked:

Based on the titles below representing the last digital books I purchased from Amazon, what could be inferred about my reading style and preferences?

Skinbreaker #1
Alchemised
Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age

No Is a Complete Sentence

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Photo by Park Troopers on Unsplash

Google Calendar says I spend an average of 20 hours a week in meetings. Add to that the fact that I have to block my own lunch just to prevent people from scheduling over it, and suddenly 25 hours of a 40-hour week are already spoken for. Then there are the ad-hoc calls that pop up out of nowhere and don’t even show up on the calendar. So I’m pretty convinced I actually spend close to 30 hours a week on Zoom/Meet/Teams/whatever-video-conferencing-platform-is-ruining-my-neck-that-day.

October Reading Wrap-Up: A Month of Chaos, Comics & Quiet Pages

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Photo by Thalia Ruiz on Unsplash

This month of October has been… a very busy one at work, and as a result, I didn’t spend nearly as much time reading as I usually do. Between all the additional stress and prep work required to handle some unexpected complications, I also managed to do a fair amount of writing, so something had to give.

When I wrapped up September, I said I wanted to read some scary books, maybe lean more into sci-fi and less into non-fiction, mostly because I felt like I needed a break from the real world. And if that was true in September, oh boy was it even more true in October.

The Student in Me Never Left

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Library in the morning hours

This morning I started work late because I had to run a couple of errands. First, I was supposed to pick up my dad and take him to the mechanic so he could get his car, but it turns out the place only opened later and I couldn’t wait for it. So it was on to the second task of the day: taking my 18-year-old daughter to her school for an in-person exam.

Why Christmas Music Gets Me Every Time

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I know it may sound weird to start talking about Christmas when Halloween hasn’t even come up yet. But last night, while my oldest daughter was making dinner, she put on a Christmas station on Pandora—and just like that, I was transported straight into my first Christmas memory.

I must have been maybe five or six. And when I say I “remember” it, I’m not 100% sure if it’s a real memory or something I pieced together from old photos—but it feels real. Someone dressed as Santa Claus came to our house. To this day I don’t know if it was my dad, a friend of his, or someone my parents hired—but “Santa” showed up. And to my absolute shock, I got a G.I. Joe dressed in full camouflage, plus a yellow helicopter and a Jeep with some kind of weapon mounted in the back. This was the early 80s, so getting war-themed toys was totally normal. That’s the first Christmas I can truly recall.

My Origin Story: Baptism by Fire

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Photo by Hannah Gibbs on Unsplash

When I walked into Synaptic Pharmaceuticals for my first official software developer job interview, I had never written a line of professional code. I had no GitHub profile (it didn’t even exist yet), no computer science degree, and just a vague idea of what a design pattern was.

But I had something far more dangerous: momentum and an unlimited supply of hubris.

A few weeks earlier, I had built a working software system from scratch in a pharmaceutical lab despite having zero formal training. If I could do that, what couldn’t I do?

Week in Review — Week 43 of 2025

Sat, 25 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Photo by Growth + Co. on Unsplash

Another week in the books, and this one was a reminder that life is a balancing act between chaos and comfort—between AWS meltdowns and Japanese takeout, between one-on-one meetings and long overdue naps. Somehow I made it through with my sanity mostly intact, a few small wins along the way, and plenty of caffeine to prevent a total system crash. Here’s how the week unfolded, one day at a time.

Planning My Escape (Sort of)

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Photo by 🇻🇪 Jose G. Ortega Castro 🇲🇽 on Unsplash

Today I stumbled across an article claiming that the magic number you need to save for a “comfortable” retirement is $1.5 million. I only skimmed the article, but I’m pretty sure it was written for people living in the U.S. who plan to retire around 67. And by “comfortable,” I’m guessing they mean having a roof that doesn’t leak, food that isn’t ramen, and health insurance that doesn’t send you straight into bankruptcy.

If You Want to Grow, Get on the Bull

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Photo by Dulcey Lima on Unsplash

I can’t remember exactly when I first heard the advice about taking ownership of your own career and destiny instead of leaving it up to chance. Maybe it came from a book, maybe a talk—I can’t remember. But I do know the exact day when it finally hit me.

It was around 2008, during a really hard phase at work. Back then, I blamed all my career woes on external forces—unsupportive teammates, bad leadership decisions, bad luck. None of it was ever my fault, of course. I was convinced I was doing everything right and the universe was conspiring against me.

The Great Couch Debate (and Why My Office Survived)

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Photo by Grovemade on Unsplash

Over the weekend, my wife and I were talking about how good it would be to finally replace our old, beat-up couch in the living room. I don’t even remember where we originally got it—I just know we hated it from the very first day we assembled it. It’s too small, the back cushions are too soft, and if you lean back for more than twenty minutes, you end up pressed against the hard frame and needing a chiropractor. Most of the time we double up the cushions to make it usable, which also means there’s now a silent competition in our house: whoever grabs the extra cushion gets an additional twenty minutes of comfort.

My Origin Story: From Syringes to Software

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Photo by Ousa Chea on Unsplash

“Sometimes the path finds you long before you recognize you’re walking it.”

I didn’t plan on becoming a software engineer. In fact, if you had met me as a teenager in Brazil—hunched over one of the many Encyclopedia Britannica volumes we had at home or scribbling chemical equations on scratch paper—I would have told you I was going to cure genetic diseases and start my own research lab in Australia. People from all over the world would fly there to be treated. All free of charge. That was the dream. Technology wasn’t even in the picture.

Week in Review — Week 41 of 2025

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This week was a mix of meetings, milestones, and moments that mattered: reconnecting with my parents, rediscovering patience, and remembering that a good round of Scrabble can fix just about anything.

Monday

I made it through an RCA call where I barely had to speak a word, even though I’d spent plenty of time behind the scenes making sure last week’s issue was fully investigated and the remediation was already in motion. Some of the discussion was productive; some felt a bit nitpicky—but overall, it went well.