Thursday, November 23, 2006

Things to be thankful for

Steve Daub is on the air on WRPI now, and since it is Thanksgiving, he has been talking about the things he is thankful for. Some of the things he mentioned that I found interesting:
  • That the woman he once proposed to declined.
  • That his parents have been patient and supportive with him as he tried to figure out what he wanted to do when he grew up while he was in his 20's. And still trying in his 30's. And his 40's. And now partway through his 50's.
  • His sisters, even though sometimes he wishes he was an only child.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Thanksgiving

Eating turkey on Thursday and going to a crowded mall on Friday are quite unappealing to some of us. But one is not obliged to follow such customs. For a number of years, I've had my own definition of Thanksgiving. It's a time to be thankful for the good things in one's life, to free oneself of distractions like malls, TV, video games, and junk food, and just enjoy simple, wholesome times with friends and family. Perhaps a meditative mountain climb would be in order.

At least that's the theory. This year, I really need quiet, simple times, so much so as to preclude the friends and family and the mountain climbing.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

My plan

For the past many years, I've been trying to go many different directions all at once because I am interested in more things than I actually have time to do. Now I have a plan. Hopefully now I can keep on going in one direction, rather than changing course so often that I never seem to get anywhere.

For November and December, my focus will be on getting healthy and on catching up on various projects at home. I'll try not to go out much. I'll just go to work, get my groceries, and go to the laundromat. Otherwise, I'll be at home resting up and puttering about (and of course continuing to get exercise and do my radio show).

Starting in January, my focus will turn to professional development. I will be looking toward doing more with research and databases. This will include finding ways to pursue my interests in the context of fulfilling the duties of my job, as well as doing some outside activity such as taking a class or getting involved in a project. I do actually have some ideas about how I want to proceed. For the past several years, I've felt that professional development should be a top priority, but whenever I thought about specific ideas, they just didn't seem very appealing. I think though that the time I've spent thinking about different directions has finally paid off, and now I feel like I've found what I'm really interested in. I hope it lasts.

My other interests will have to stay on hold for a while. I really need to be healthy in order to do anything else. Enjoying my work is also pretty important to my overall happiness, since earning a living is the activity I need to spend more time on than anything else. Once I get those things under control, I can turn toward my other interests:
  • Music: hosting radio shows, volunteering at concerts and festivals, compiling information, playing a musical instrument, participating in singalongs. Right now I share a radio show with others, which means I'm on every two months. When I have more time, I would like to get my own radio show. That way, I wouldn't have to fit the format of the show I'm a part of, but could make the show what I want it to be.
  • Outdoor activities: rollerblading, hiking, kayaking, sailing, cross country skiing, downhill skiing.
  • Dance/movement: ballroom, swing, Latin, modern, jazz, contra, African, Afro-Caribbean, Nia, yoga, etc. I'm taking Nia now and plan to continue, but if I get more free time in my life after the health and the professional development are under control, then I'd like to do more.
  • Habitat for Humanity.
This plan of mine is based on the assumption that getting healthy and getting caught up on my projects are things that can be achieved by the end of December. I don't actually expect to finish every single project, but I do need to get some health before I can do anything else with my life. I do think there's hope for that, because things have been improving since I saw the naturopath.

I was depressed over the past few years over the disappearance of my friends. Now it's just as well. It gives me more time to pursue the things I want to pursue. Maybe when I get the health and professional development under control and start adding my other interests back into my life, I'll add some friends too, but for now it's good to be able to turn inward more.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Advertising

There's someone who worked at several advertising agencies and then went to work for a local technology business. She described her job there as "cleaning up the brand." She said it needed a lot of work because in the earlier years of the company, they didn't invest much in branding. She explained that they hadn't needed to because they made a product people wanted, so people were knocking at their door wanting to buy their product.

That's the trouble with me. That's why I'll never be a star in the world of advertising. I think it's better to focus on making a product people want, and not on branding.

Thursday, November 9, 2006

Education, research, and society blog

I changed the name of one of my other blogs to "education, research, and society" and I moved it to another location. It used to be on facebook, but people not on facebook couldn't read it. So if you previously clicked on the link for "my education and social science blog" and didn't see anything, now try clicking on "my education, research, and society blog" and maybe you'll get somewhere.

I have at least one more entry for that blog in my head, it's just a matter of when it will come out of my head and get to my blog.