Ah humidity! In the summer you make outdoor work so much more fun. Not only do I need to take multiple showers each day, I never feel fully dry after each one. Thanks for that.
Posts in: 2020s
Parenting is a Marathon
This morning I listened as my son sat at the piano and played classical music. He’s 13, quite a talented pianist, and has come as far as he has because of great work ethic. But part of his success comes from the encouragement of his parents too. My wife isn’t a musician herself, but she knows that success in any field only comes from practice. She has been the dominant force in getting all of our kids to practice their instruments.
The Magic of PTO
I started working at SpiderOak back before we had an HR department or many formal company policies. Most of us were contractors. Since we didn’t have other benefits, we had “unlimited time off.” (This was pretty popular in the startup world back then.) The idea is great; take as much time as you need! The thing the company values is you getting your work done, not counting your hours at work. In practice I found that to be true.
Far from Commonplace Fathers
Fatherhood is one of the most difficult and noble acts in a man’s life. Not every man has the chance to be a biological father, but any man can act as like a father to the young men and women around him. Fathers are vital, on both a personal and a community level. As a father of three, this is a bit terrifying. I worry that I will fall short or miss an important moment in my kids’ lives.
Things Move a Little Slower Here
When I was 20 I moved from Kansas City to Taipei, Taiwan to start two years of missionary service. That was the first time I had ever lived in a big city. Getting used to the furious pace of life and the sheer number of people was hard. Three months later I moved from Taipei to Taidong. Taidong may be the biggest city in its part of the island, but it felt very small compared to Taipei.
The Right Way is the Hard Way
Worthwhile pursuits are hard. Work worth doing involves struggle. This is one of the lessons I wish I had learned earlier in life. This afternoon I saw a perfect example of this. We had a small, Friday afternoon emergency at work. A customer needed a very specific data set that I knew was in our database but that I didn’t know how to retrieve. A coworker stepped up and saved the day.
Life, Filled to the Brim with Experiences
I’ve been thinking recently about how simple situations and actions make for wonderful memories. A fond memory from the time when my kids were young was an evening when my wife made rose tea. We had a typical day with three young children. This particular day they were energetic kids who tore through the house, asked a million questions, and did “kid things” that exhausted us. (A normal day!) After we won the bedtime battle and all three were asleep, my wife and I sat together on the couch.
A Poem called Pandemic and other thoughts
I haven’t written much this month. With everything going on in the world, taking the time to write a post each day seemed almost self absorbed. I wanted to keep my family close and focus on helping them and others in my community. This week I’ve started to feel that our new, stay-at-home normal has reached the point of equilibrium and I have some mental space to start writing again.
The Joy of Morning Walks
Walking is such a natural act, but many people don’t do much of it. This isn’t (necessarily) because we’re lazy. Some places aren’t well situated for frequent walking. If that’s true for you it’s still worth creating the time to walk. Walking without music, podcasts, or headphones provides a perfect environment for inspiration. This morning it was 37ºF (3ºC) when I started walking. It took a few minutes for my joints to warm up, then everything else did too.
Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth by Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig is one of the greatest players in the history of baseball. He had a career .340 batting average, and still has the highest ratio of runs scored plus runs batted in per 100 plate appearances (35.08) and per 100 games (156.7) among Hall of Fame players. His record of 2,130 consecutive games played eared him the nickname “The Iron Horse.” He was diagnosed with ALS on June 19, 1939, his 36th birthday.