Carl Setzer

Today's thought: Freedom: The least amount of external influence on my life. Looking over my life so far, it's clear to me that I value freedom highly. I've walked away from jobs that looked like they'd box me in. I love the independence I currently have. Even "lots more" money would be a tough choice, and probably not worth it. There's little I'd trade it for.

For years I've pondered the nature of work in our society. The way our sense of self is intrinsically tied, how one of the first things we ask new acquaintances is "what do you?" Work provides us social status, links within our communities and, of course, critical economic resources: survival. Additionally, I've seen so misery surrounding work. Hatred for their work, disdain for certain crafts and, thus, isolation. Dignity and social acceptance play out in this space. And, let's not forget the pain surrounding job losses. I'm committed to exploring this deeper, so there will be more soon. May you all find peace on this journey through the cosmos.

I spent a good chunk of my day, yesterday, on a skills inventory for a temp firm. Now, some would hate this. I, however, actually enjoy this. These give me some great insights into the job market's software needs and expectations. Also, as someone who tries hard to be cutting, if not bleeding edge, I always tend to be well ahead of the curve. There were only a few areas I didn't know strongly, particularly with the Office suite. Of course, I hold myself to a high standard here. Not knowing how to code a macro in Word 2007 bugs me. I know how to get to that screen, but it's different enough from 2003 (where I haven't coded a macro in years) that I was puzzled how to actually code the thing.

Often I have evenings where my mind is simply muddy, overheated, I guess, from the mad dash through the day. Days like today, when I'm peppered with work. Last minute stuff; urgent, weird executive requests of high priority because of the position of said requester. Strangest to me is how un-tired my body is in relation to my whipped mind. And now my weary 5-year-old (who would deny tiredness) is calling for my attention. Two cranky people, weary of mind and patience. Should be joyous... Blogged with the Flock Browser