No, you really didn't.

For all it's problems (some of which are being addressed in recent standard update , some not so much yet) it remains the best available tool for some domains. More's the pity.

Seriously. C++ seems like a layer of hacks, one upon another, each designed to "fix" things in the layers below, only to add more confusion. Maybe "D" is the answer, or Go...? I don't know.

I started with C++ a long time ago, but for whatever reason, kept getting out of it (for a few years) and then every time I'd get back in, I'd be surprised at the new stuff.