And... Here... We... Go...
Let's just jump right in folks.
This is my new blog.
Why the hell would I create a blog when blogging is "so yesterday" (or so I've read)? Well, frankly, there are a number of reasons, too many to count really, so I'll give you the biggest and best now, before we get to the droll, prosaic yammering of the getting to know me stuff. I have a feeling once you read this rather short, but heavy list, you might feel as though you've found someone who is kindred in all but spirit.
1. I'm in the throes of an all too real midlife crisis.
YES! The old adage is actually true. On or around midlife (the age of which is hard to pinpoint of course, as it will vary from person to person), things begin to change in our lives. How we think, what we find important, what we feel we've left undone; it all starts to become less abstract and far too real.
Mind you, when I say things left undone, I'm not talking about leaving the curling iron on or whether we remembered to pack the kids a desert in their lunchbox before shuffling them off to school. No, I am speaking about large, existential things. For me, the loudest voice is constantly screaming...what am I leaving behind when I'm gone?! What mark, what positive change, what difference will I have made before my body is again ash and dust, returning from whence it came?
I know I'm not alone in these thoughts, so why not share them!
2. I. Hate. My. Job.
Now, you may be thinking, well, that's not new or different. SO many of us out there entering our "mid-life" feel this way. Shit, some of us don't even wait for that crisis to set in and have always felt these vibes.
Depending on your age or generation, you may feel ambivalent or apathetic on the topic, but so many of us have very strong emotions behind work because of how we were raised and thus how we've approached the last 20 or so odd years of our work life (AKA our "career" - BLECH!). I know your curiosity is piqued, but fear not, we'll go into far more detail about all of these points as we travel this road together. And I do mean ALL of the points; what this dreaded job of mine entails, age bias, generational differences and philosophies, thoughts and feelings about work and career in general, etc. You know the full Monty!
Come to think of it, I loathe my job so much that I wonder if those gents in that cult classic movie "The Full Monty" might not have been onto something. Hmmm...
3. I want it ALL.
I have passions that I never knew existed until quite recently. There are dreams I've had for some time that I never gave any thought, time, or energy to until I had time away from the career driven life I mentioned above. How did I obtain this precious "time"? Oh, well, I work in a field where people in my position are thought of as disposable so, I was unceremoniously "laid off" or as I like to call it flushed.
What are these dreams? Brace yourself friends, they are likely the key tenants to what many consider to be "basic". I want to have FUN by running a successful podcast, and I want to write - posts, blogs, books, I'm an equal opportunity offender.
So, naturally, I thought starting a blog seemed to be the obvious first step to doing everything that moves me. If nothing else, it's free therapy (but more on that later).
AND FINALLY...
4. It's time to begin the sarcasm study and I'm happy to be the first test subject.
This last point may be the most important one of all of them. I am sick and tired of not being myself. While age may bring with it sagging skin, more fluff around my mid-section than I'd care for, and a level of exhaustion that I thought was reserved for those already deceased, it has also brought with it the wisdom to know that frankly, life is too damn short.
Alas, I must concede that this turn of phrase often seen on bumper stickers or motivational posters, is true. Life IS too damned short to constantly contort yourself into being who you think those around you want you to be. It's odd. I've had this reminder pop up at several pivotal points in my life but it never seems to stick around for too long. I always find myself pulled back into my old habits, which die hard. My career certainly has not done me any favors in permitting me to let my individual self out, or my sarcastic freak flag fly, as I like to say, but this, here, well...it's time to let people get to know the real me. Shit, it's time to get to know myself!
So, while that list is not all encompassing and there are many, many trails I intend to walk down on this new journey, I suppose the point is that I'm finally starting out on this adventure. I'm hoping you'll accompany me and that I might speak about some of the internal woes, worries and thoughts you too carry, perhaps even giving you the motivation or inspiration to begin your own adventure.
At the very least, I promise a chuckle or two (even at my own expense).
I will warn you though, the road less traveled is often a bumpy ride, so you might want to buckle up buttercups!
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