Python is not just a programming language, it is also a community.
I have been a longtime user of Python for years but it was only in the recent years that I finally discovered the community, and I have always wished that it had happened sooner.

The Python community has given me so much. As an active community member, I'm learning more, at a faster rate, compared to when I was just a user of Python for my day job.
As I begin to introduce Python programming to my kids, I'm telling them about the people behind it too.

I wanted to "humanize" the experience of programming to my kids. It's not just about computers and how to make the computer do things.
I wanted them to know that there are people behind the code, and they're people just like ourselves, not some "lone genius".

When I was telling my kids about the people within the Python community, I didn't frame it like "this person is famous/special so you should be in awe when you met them". I think idolizing is a harmful culture, not something I want them to embrace.

Rather, I wanted them to know that this is a thing that they can one day be a part of, if they ever wanted to. The people are approachable. We've met some of them, had meals with some of them, some of them have been to our home.

Most Python programming books aren't telling them about the people, the community, and how to be a part of it. Not sure if they should though? I just felt that this part was missing when I started, that's all. And I wanted my kids to start off better than I did.

I also hope that they don't see coding as something magical, or that programmers are exceptional just because they know how to code.
It's just another skill to learn. They'll get good at it by continuously learning, not because they're born with it.

Anyway, thanks for reading my rambling. Happy new year!