No sooner have I settled at home again, I’m back at the airport (enjoying a cold Guinness).
This time I’m heading out to Chicago to see my sister, Dad, and the rest of the centrally located family. If this new status quo of mine has afforded me anything, it’s extra time to see the ones I love. Sure, I’m still fearful of the future - but right now, I’m making up for some lost time.
It was recently brought to my attention that in the last five years or so, I’ve taken perhaps a combined four (or so) weeks of actual vacation. That’s roughly 2% time spent turning off my brain and just relaxing. I’ve traveled and taken sporadic days, sure, but as for truly turning everything off - not answering emails, not popping open the computer and working on something - nope. Thinking back, I’ve always been like this.
Ever since college, all I’ve been doing is working. I worked holidays, birthdays, and through family trips. I was so dedicated to putting in the time and making whatever money I could just to spend it. It wasn’t until way too late that I realized I had been dedicating my time to the wrong thing. I was sustaining jobs when what I really should’ve been focusing all that effort on was a career. Something where I can swerve into my abilities and get places of which I can be proud. Too late in life have I realized that I’ve been spinning my wheels. Since moving to Pennsylvania five years ago, I’ve been making choices with career in mind. Have I made mistakes and been wrong a few times? You betcha, but the goals remain the same - Be productive. Be happy. Build something.
Not in that order, but pretty equally weighted.
Now, it wasn’t all bad or worthless. Not at all. I’ve amassed a shit-ton of skills and abilities. I’ve learned a lot about how the business of creativity works as well as where I fit in it. It’s too easy to declare that I’ve wasted my time; I simply took the super long way.
Now if I can just figure out a real way to monetize what I’ve learned. Zoinks!
Well, my Guinness is gone, so now is as good a time as any to sign off.
See you in Chicago.