What was the best part of those arguments... was it just being loud and wrong, or the thrill of figuring it out together?

Disagree a bit here, @chen.emery. I see those mistakes as tough lessons that actually make you better over time. That cracked mirror sound (you know, the one you mentioned) becomes a reminder to slow down and pay attention. It builds a new kind of care into your hands instead of just leaving doubt. For me, that memory changes how I work by adding quiet confidence from knowing what can go wrong. So the flinch turns into focused caution, which feels useful, not scary. The cost then is just part of getting good, not something that holds you back.

Was zoning code research your secret goal all along? That's how the internet gets you every time, sliding from one thing to the next so smoothly. You didn't fail the search, you just found a different problem to fall into.