What is a hacker? Who the hell knows? On top of that, I’m clamming I’m one of them. What gives me the right? I’m not sure, but in short, I know one thing: hackers are smart and they never give up. Once I heard the smartest man I’ve ever met saying to a developer: “OK, make something, then Meka will do the magic”. That’s the best compliment I’ve ever got. I guess that makes me smart, too. And never giving up … I know I’m that kind of guy. If anyone wants me to do anything I’m remotely interested in, it’s enough I hear “that it’s impossible”. I guess it’s enough proof I’m persistent.

Let’s go from the start. I knew I’m good at math since 3rd grade elementary school. I’ve been the best physics student in elementary, too. I’ve never been the best student, that’s for sure. I was more interested in asking “why” and “how” than having a good grade. I always asked myself “what if we do this differently” and it always gave me bad grades, but somehow, when things go south, I get to answer the tough questions. High school was even worse. I was a bit above the average. University? Totally below average. Of course, if grades mean anything to you. The mean shit to me. And let me take this opportunity to say that except 3 professors, all of them are total crap. One of the proofs is that I’ve got this answer to “Why am I failing programming?”: “Your algorithms are too advanced for professors to get them”. Let me repeat: I was below average.

Today, I’m co-founder of a Tilda Center, Novi Sad’s hackerspace. So, I’m discussing funding and finances with my friend and he told me “Don’t make the same mistake I made with LUGoNS”. What he told me is “don’t invest too much of your own money into it”. How can I not to? I believe in Tilda with my whole heart. So, after a while, I’m telling him something like “Well, yeah, I know what you mean, but I can make it work, trust me. Besides, I know math, physics, electronics, backend and frontend programming, system and network administration, devops, guitar playing, singing, audio and video production and post production, cooking and I’m starting with capoeira trainings this Tuesday. With all this knowledge, I will make it work on Mars, if needed”. I’m not good at all those things equaly, obviously, but I’m refusing to accept I’m not above average at any of those except capoeira.

For the end, let me just tell you I’m not trying to brag around how good I am at anything. This post is to remind me I’m not as stupid as I have tendency to tell people I am, and to remind me of the most important achievement in my life: I AM A HACKER!!! I have to repeat that in order to understand why I’m so different and unaccepted. Thank you for reading!