Where are we going today?
These were the first words out of my mouth every morning probably until I was old enough to take myself places. I remember this because my mother thought it was hilarious and has told most people I know, too.
It must still be true, that I am always on the go, though I certainly enjoy a day at home when the opportunity presents itself. Perhaps that’s why my life has been full of so many journeys. A life of curiosity has lead me down many paths. I can wear a Chef’s hat, a Photographer’s bag, a Baker’s apron, a Business Analyst’s pocket protector, an Author’s glasses, an Artist’s paint smudge, a Sales Professional’s Suit, and the list goes on. These are things I studied and excelled in, not as an amateur but a serious, confident, professional. It’s funny, in a rather bitter way, that this diverse background that has fed my passion for discovering life has crippled me professionally speaking, not drastically but significantly.
This combination of skills spills over into each other. Business is such a passion of mine. I love business and I feel that I must, like you love a spouse or child. It is as much a part of our life as they are, so how can we tolerate a career we despise without growing to despise other critical parts of our lives. It’s a sad fact that most people spend more time at work than with their families, and a sadder fact that most of these people, at the very mildest of descriptions, dislike their jobs.
That’s the norm.
That is the majority rule in our society…. It is a statistic because it is fact. That is so damn sad.
Now, it may be unavoidable for most of us to spend more time working than not, especially to provide a good life for ourselves and families. We’re rather spoiled after all, aren’t we? We need so many things to be comfortable. Cars, spacious houses, houses at all, lots of things, lot of good food, it all costs, and these days it costs a lot. Commercial materialism is a topic for another day though; a topic I will probably not be the author of. It is reasonable though, that because of these truths which we may as well just accept about ourselves, that we work more than not. This is why the statistic says we work jobs we hate, to have more things we love. What if one day we loved less things more, I wonder?
Not me, though. While it can certainly be a source for trouble, I have developed an intolerance for putting up with an employer’s abuse or generally poor ethics. I could explain, go through boring stories of my work history that has brought me here. Don’t worry, I won’t. In the grand scheme of things none of it really matters. It’s just what it took to get me here. Today. Right now.
Where am I, though? Where am I going today, tomorrow, and the next?
To be completely transparent, because I owe myself that honesty, I don’t know. Some days I don’t know where I belong. Each time I think I’ve got a grasp on which direction to go, life tends to have other plans. What does that mean for me today? Well, it means here in a couple of hours I will join a phone call that returns me to contracting. Working independently for individuals and companies seems to be my way for now. It certainly gives me the time freedoms I need with my children, which is critical for us. If for no other reason that is such a blessing.
The idea here and why I started this blog, this site, was really a place I could store my work, an online portfolio while journaling my way through 417 working with 417. Perhaps the idea of that was too small though. So, time to grow then.