I felt like we were just getting started.
I wasn’t ready to say “goodbye” yet.
I know that we’ll have lots of wonderful days ahead
But it will never be the same.
I’m not saying it’s a bad thing.
It’s supposed to be this way.
I just want to go back and use the time a little better.
Things will never be the same
It’s better than I prayed for.
Grace, that’s what I’ll call it.
Throw the memories of those days in the air, and catch them with a laugh.
It’s not going to stay the same.
— AUTOMATIC REPLY–
Carl Bliss is Out of the Office
Thanks for your email. I’m out of the office for the Thanksgiving Holiday, and will be away from email until Monday, December 1. I will respond to your email when I return…
OK… actually. I’ll be close to email… freakishly close… I’ll have it in my pocket, or on the sofa table… and I’ll hear your message come in. That “bing” sound. I’ll glance at it… and ignore it. Although the contents will probably bug me. Because I now have an open loop. I’ll put together a hastily crafted reply and will hover over “send”.
Then I’ll think “Wait… if they see me responding to email on Thursday at 1pm, they’ll think I’m one of those guys who are addicted to the email inbox… I don’t want to be that guy”.
So, I’ll finish typing the message while my daughter sets up the Risk board… and put it in the draft folder.
Thanks for your email. I’ll send the draft of what I am currently writing to you, when I get back to the office on Monday.
Have a Blessed Thanksgiving
Carl
I was doing some office organization today. I came across a 3 ring binder of emails I wrote 13 years ago (apparently I used to print significant emails for archival). Reading through it was at some times entertaining and at other times cringe-worthy.
Time only goes one direction, but I sure wish I could go tell that high-strung kid a few things:
Here are my notes to the 25 year old me:
1 – Stop running things up the flag-pole every time you are concerned.
Seriously! At the nearest sign of conflict or disagreement, you seem to go to your boss a lot. Try working things out with your coworkers first. (He’s THEIR boss too!) Kicking it up a level will escalate the tension in the conversation, and you’ll be dealing with some of those relationship issues 13 years later.
2 – Technology changes… that’s always funny.
Hey young me.. you’re in the middle of a pretty big project. I’m glad you’re documenting the requirements so well, and trying to get buy in. I hate to burst your bubble, but everything you’re working on will be obsolete in 10 years. (OH… and I noticed you lamenting about the high cost of web content management systems. Give it a few years. Things are about to open up.)
3 – It’s not that big of a deal.
You sure seem concerned about a lot of things. To you, the universe seems to only be as big as you are able to see. It’s a LOT bigger. The things you’re dealing with today, will not be of huge consequence in a few years. However, how you handle them WILL be important a decade from now.
Don’t be defined by your tasks. Focus on how you perform them. The things that will last will be the trust you’ve generated, and the integrity you display. That’s really about it.
And, do you really need to print all those emails? You aren’t going to use them. You’ll just laugh at them in 13 years. Just like 51 year old me will laugh at this blog post.
Next week I’m taking off for a few days in the Boundary Waters wilderness area.
The cell phone is staying home.
I have no problem when I think that folks won’t be able to call me for a couple of days. I am looking forward to escaping communications.
What I’m realizing I am really going to miss is the increased reliance on my access to knowledge.
I had to buy a map… a paper map. I also bought a compass for this trip. If I catch a fish, I will need to know something to be able to identify the species. I will even have to bring along a paper copy of the fishing regulations for that area.
Augmented reality is no longer a sci-fi concept. It’s something I am already using every day. Easy access to Google, GPS map data and my entire social graph is something that is no longer enhancing life… it’s become life.
Now I’m REALLY looking forward to disconnecting!
Time to paddle.
From Cyborgs to Project Glass: the Augmented Reality Story – SlashGear.
I’ve sat in on more than one long meeting, wordsmithing a mission or a vision statement. But, they are an important part of any organization. A clear, concise summary of what the organization seeks to accomplish.
A mission statement needs to be specific (so as not to justify any undertaking), but general enough to not limit the tactics you use.
A number of years ago, I created a personal mission statement:
My purpose is to bring glory to God through my relationships and responsibilities
I wanted it to be general enough to not be tied into any occupation, but specific enough to direct the decisions I make.
What about you? Have you made a personal mission statement? I’d love to hear it!
