Rediscovering the Joy of Coding --- Writing My First Real Program in Pascal

There's something magical about going back to the roots.

Hey everyone, Bek here !

As a programmer, I've spent years bouncing between Python, Rust, Go, C#,
JavaScript [when i was a kid in the 80s, it used to be Basic only, on every C64 and Atari] ... the usual modern toolbox. But recently, I felt like
something was missing. I missed that feeling I had as a kid --- typing
code, watching characters move on a screen, feeling like I was building
something with my own hands instead of scaffolding another framework.

So I did something unexpected.

I went back to Pascal.

Why Pascal?

Pascal feels like the programming equivalent of a freshly cleaned desk:
simple, organized, no nonsense.

• The syntax is easy to memorize\
• It's incredibly readable\
• It forces you to think clearly\
• And it gives you this warm, retro "I'm actually writing a program" feeling

Writing Pascal makes me feel like a programmer again --- not just a
framework technician bouncing between APIs and config files.

The "Health Checker" Program --- My First Small Project

Before diving into anything big, I wanted a simple project that still
does something: a tiny health checker that calculates BMI and prints a
result.

It was such a small program... but writing it in Pascal was fun.

No fighting the language.\
No hunting for libraries.\
No distracting boilerplate.

Just clean structure and pure logic.

Then I Wrote Something Bigger: RetroJournal

After the health checker, I decided to stretch Pascal a bit --- just
enough to make something playful.

I created a full Retro Journal System with:

• A fake boot sequence\
• A menu\
• A file-based journal\
• Search functionality\
• Statistics\
• Retro green terminal vibes

It's one of those tiny programs that reminds you why you started coding
in the first place.

Video Tutorial

Final Thoughts

This Pascal adventure reminded me of something important:\
Programming is supposed to be fun.

Not stressful.\
Not competitive.\
Not a race to learn the latest tool.

Just fun.

And Pascal --- with its simple structure and old-school charm ---
brought that feeling back for me.

If you've been feeling burned out or nostalgic, try writing a tiny
Pascal program.\
You might surprise yourself.