Mar 31, 2026
Returning to Programming at 59
Christoph
Car mechanic
FIRST JOB
Germany
COUNTRY
Full-Stack Development
FOCUS
I started working as a car mechanic when I was 17. Later, I worked for about six years at a car recycling company, and then in a beverage trade business. During that time, I bought my first computer out of pure curiosity, a Commodore 16 from Aldi with a datasette.
That was the beginning of something that fascinated me and never really left me.
I started writing small programs in BASIC, and when the Commodore Amiga came out, it felt like a dream. I bought one in 1990 with a color monitor, and for me it was a huge leap at the time. I was fascinated by what it could do, especially compared to what came before.
Back then, a friend and I started programming together. While I was working in beverage distribution, we began building a delivery note and invoice program in GFA BASIC. It worked well, and around that time I also got familiar with C, C++, and Assembly, mostly as a hobby.
"Programming fascinated me then, and it still fascinates me today."
A lot changed after that, and I spent a long time away from programming. But in recent years, my interest came back strongly.
Seeing how much technology has evolved, and especially what is now possible with AI, motivated me to start again, even at my age. Mimo has helped me get back into programming and keep learning.
Today, I’m 59 and learning programming languages again in my free time. I take on different jobs when I can, and programming has become something very meaningful for me.
dream job in tech
"Programming helps me stay mentally healthy."
I haven’t fully started my main project yet, but I’ve been thinking seriously about it for a long time. I want to build an Android and iOS app for small beverage businesses: a delivery note and invoicing app tailored to the specific requirements of that industry, ideally for phones or tablets.
Right now, I’m working on the layout and design and thinking through which language will be the best fit for building it.
I’m still exploring, learning, and planning, but that’s exactly what makes this chapter exciting. After all these years, I’m programming again, and I’m curious to see what the future brings.
