I'm the same age as the author and have been coding since 1986. I still enjoy the immersive (flow) aspect of coding, but I'm no longer compelled to code in my

I'm the same age as the author and have been coding since 1986. I still enjoy the immersive (flow) aspect of coding, but I'm no longer compelled to code in my off hours. In fact, about 25 years ago I realized that coding alone couldn't keep me enraptured indefinitely. So I diversified into R&D: AI & data mining, HPC, image processing, and recently deep learning. I hope to remain in harness for another decade, probably in some sort of AI role, which seems plausible since the demand in that space for skill + experience far outstrips supply, and I'm willing to move.