My father was a computer programmer. In my early childhood, I had already watched him tapping the keyboard, debugging the colorful codes. Since I became addicted to digital games in primary school, Father began teaching me programming in order to divert my interest. The unfamiliar codes, with their various highlights, opened up a whole new world for me. I awkwardly typed on the keyboard, imitating what Father had taught me.

However, as time went by, my passion gradually faded. Gazing at the lengthy and confusing code examples, I lost the desire to delve deeper into the world of programming. All I wanted was my games. I pretended to learn programming to deceive my parents, while secretly playing my favorite games like Clash of Clans (COC) instead. Sometimes, I even indulged in online novels purely for entertainment. Life seemed so relaxing this way.

Time flew, and I entered junior high school. One day, Father accidentally discovered that there was an Olympiad in Informatics held for junior and senior high school students, with the winners being awarded admission to top universities like Tsinghua. Since the competition was based on contestants' programming skills, it dawned on Father that this was a golden opportunity for me. From then on, Father became enthusiastic about teaching me programming once again. But I was still immersed in the world of gaming, having no interest in his ambitious plan. Every time Father asked me to learn programming, I merely went through the motions. I even rejected his invitation for a fun learning journey, excusing myself by saying I needed to write a blog to record my learning outcomes, which were actually just mundane knowledge points that consumed a lot of my time.

That night was a moment I would never forget. I sat by the bed, doing my own things. Mother came in, sat beside me, and told me that Dad was completely discouraged and disheartened. I didn't know where Father was at that time, but a wave of guilt surged through my heart. I suddenly realized that I had ignored too much of Dad's efforts and made him so disappointed. I felt overwhelmed and lost. I was the one to blame.

I couldn't remember what happened later, but I worked hard in the following years. Although I never participated in the so-called Olympiad, I mastered the landscape of programming and truly developed an interest in it. Perhaps this could serve as a compensation for Father's expectations.