still & fast

it always amazes me how much we rush every day, in nearly everything we do.  a simple task is made stressful because of traffic, a calm day at the beach is made less relaxing because of crowds and the need to stand in line for whatever.

where did we go wrong in our bustling modern society that makes us feel like we need to rush, or hurry, or do things faster than is really necessary?

i’m sitting at a local park on my lunch hour, taking a full 60 minutes to unwind from the stress of the office.  at this park is a very picturesque little lake that is also bordered by an interstate on the north side.  its this dichotomy that inspired this post today.

folks like me, taking 15, 20, 30 minutes out of their day, out of their lunch hour and coming to this park for a quick detox from the office.  some simply watch the waves on the lake, others the traffic.  a number of them are out getting their mid-day walk in, and many more enjoying the shade.

the interesting thing is that, while there are a number of people about, we’re in the minority.  we’re just a few people finding he relaxation, or making the time to walk out of the building to the car, driving a couple blocks, and sitting watching what relaxes us.  where are the rest of those that need it?  what happens when folks don’t take the time every day to find the calm and peace within that balances each of us out?

how does this affect their coworkers? how does this unbalance their lives?  is it any of my business?

the still of the water and the rush of the fast interstate traffic is the extremes in my field of view today and i’m just glad that i’m here to enjoy the few quiet minutes today.

another moment in time

as it so often happens, a quiet moment with time to reminisce. that’s what i have tonight. time to slip in a cd from years ago and simply get a chance to listen to it all the way through.

this time it’s purple rain. geez, how many times listening to different parts of this this cd, heck it was a cassette tape back in 1984 , while cruising along in the car on a summer night. that’s an example that most all of us can remember isn’t it?

sometimes with friends, sometimes just out for a ride all alone. windows down, breeze blowing through the car, tunes rocking out. good memories for sure.

i happened to reach this stage of life in western wisconsin. there were so many back country roads to explore and so many evenings out driving. i think i drove most all of ‘em. at any rate, its the memories related to these old songs that bring a person back.

i had a day

i had a day in which there was pure enjoyment.

i had a day that was crisp, cool, and energetic.

i had a day that allowed me to think.

i had a day that i spent with my family.

i had a day that cannot be compared.

i had a day of experiences that were fulfilling.

…

i had a day that i loved.

don’t forget to relax

that’s one of the most important things i can share with anyone. make sure to find the time to get away and do the things that help you unwind. it’s imperative to your success that you get the chance to set tasks and stress aside to enjoy life every week.

this past weekend, my family and i made a spontaneous trip across the state to a great vacation place. we only had about 30 hours in total for the getaway, but it proved to be one of the more fun things we’ve done in recent months.

if you get the chance, don’t shy away from last minute choices. don’t hesitate to do something that people say is crazy. go do it, and have fun.

desires

i’m realizing that i have a desire to do something different, to find a new way or path. though i’ve been an information technologies guy for a long time, the fascination with technology has morphed into a passion for using technology.

it used to be very fun for me to simply make things work. technology used to be a grand puzzle that required understanding, time, and planning to make things work like we wanted them to. innovation and technological progress has changed that drastically. now it’s quite simple to do things that once required expensive equipment or software; or required extensive knowledge that was outside of most peoples specialties.

information technology used to be a passion. it used to be the fuel for my career, fulfilling adventure and advancement at the same time. alas, it no longer plays that central role. the technology is still “cool”, and the puzzles are still there, but i find them more and more irrelevant to my desires.

new adventures are calling me, and though my income is still dependent on an information technology role, i just don’t have the passion for it. my desires are taking me elsewhere. on to new experiences and new challenges.

random thoughts while watching the river

i sit by the river watching the water and the clouds go by.

i wonder at the scope and grandeur of it all – how do i fit in?

the constructs we’ve created are small in comparison.

moving and flowing through our time, our lives become larger than we imagined.

watching and waiting should not be part of the plan.

making and doing are what’s needed at this time.

how to motivate my fellowman, that is what i want to do.

working my way back

i’m working my way back to you; to my blog that is. this could easily be my third post here on a space for words about losing focus, but it won’t be this time! my emphasis of late has been to work hard on getting back into the writing groove.

to this end, i’ve spooled up more tunes, some old, some new, that help me disengage from the goings-on around me and help to induce that inner contemplation that helps me start thinking and dreaming.

the dreaming is the important part. i remember as a teen back in the early 1980s driving around, listening to some of these tunes, with the windows down the breeze blowing my hair and the world before me.

i had the good fortune to grow up out in the country – western wisconsin to be specific. these good times defined who i was ultimately to become, and more importantly shaping the very foundations of my beliefs.

one of those beliefs is in hard work. i believe it’s time for some of that hard work, getting back to where i want to be.

losing focus

i’ve done it again. i’ve lost focus on my goals and my agenda. i’ve not posted about this on my real blog, but feel that i need to very soon.

it started over a year ago when i had money issues when starting a business. since then, things have gotten better on the income side of things, but i had to “shelve” the idea of working for myself as a professional blogger. i here some of you laughing, and sure, it’s a difficult if not improbable goal for the most part.

but to me it seems that i have much to say, many opinions to help people, and really want to succeed as a teacher and communicator rather than an information technology professional. i have a good career in technology, but wish to do more things on my own.

i’ve lost the focus that i started with a couple years ago with my blog. the desire is there, the ideas continue to stream, but the time and ability to gain traction in simply doing is missing. there are many other things going on as well, with conferences and events that i’m part of and working on making happen. people are counting on me to come through and perform in these areas. that alone is stressfull to me as well.

so, here i go, to sort through the last year and find the time, the ability to focus on what needs to be done. here is where i restart my agenda, my initiatives and regain the momentum i feel i’ve lost. now is the time, today is the day i start my plans anew.

corporate automatons

automatons, every one of them. the average corporate working stiff is nothing more than an elaborate programmable robot that mindlessly goes through it’s pre-defined rule set endlessly. it’s disappointing to say the least. do these people not have dreams and aspirations? are they not capable of thinking for themselves and taking risks? do they not want to be happy in life?

it troubles me that we keep producing more and more intelligent automatons that simply follow whatever programming they are given. sure, for corporations and governments, that is exactly what they need. Machines capable of carrying out instructions with some simple decision making ability based on pre-programmed rule sets. it is quite sad when you stop and actually watch them all.

like mice in a cage, they scurry about without much thought past what they want to do next. few long term ideas or plans. some can play the system and simply have patience to live within the maze, but most are little more than lemmings.

the human mind is capable of so much more, experiencing thoughts and ideas that expand the comprehension of existence. at least that’s what I’m seeing, and for me, that’s enough.