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Well, tomorrow is the start of my new round of daddy-duty. With Mamma beginning her legal career, and Cash starting daycare, I've now become the Norcross Child Shuttle Service. I'll be bringing the boy to daycare in the morning, picking him up after work, then making dinner for the family. No more sleeping in, or getting to the office around 8-ish. Nope, it's schedule time! No snooze button. None of my famous "5 more minutes" that I've pulled since the 6 am swim practice at the age of 8. Nosir, it's daddy time.
I can't wait. While he'll basically be too young to know, this is my chance to introduce him to some of the things I like. Music, sports radio, and just chattin! Since the birth, Mamma has done most of the child-rearin, with me doing a majority of the working. Now with her working as much (or more, at least for now), it's my time to pitch in. And considering my child is quite possibly the best baby in modern history, that should be cake.
I can't wait. While he'll basically be too young to know, this is my chance to introduce him to some of the things I like. Music, sports radio, and just chattin! Since the birth, Mamma has done most of the child-rearin, with me doing a majority of the working. Now with her working as much (or more, at least for now), it's my time to pitch in. And considering my child is quite possibly the best baby in modern history, that should be cake.
I'll preface this by saying that this post was 100% inspired by my wife
Tomorrow, I get to do one of my favorite things: leave work early. There's just something about heading out when everyone is still there that makes me feel good. Granted, I still check my email, remote in if need be, etc. But I digress. Tomorrow is important. Tomorrow, my wife gets sworn in to the Florida Bar. She's a real-deal attorney.
I couldn't be happier. Besides the obvious reasons (she's finally done with the hell that is law school, etc), I am genuinely happy when someone I care about succeeds in something. And, well, there really aren't many people I care about more than my wife.
Here's the awkward thing. People are congratulating ME.While I understand a few people are congratulating me by proxy, or because they know what being the significant other of a law student can entail, the majority looked at me like I had done something. I haven't. SHE did.
But something I've noticed lately. It's very difficult for some people to be genuinely happy for someone else, for no other reason that they're doing well. It's one thing to be relieved when a bad situation gets better, or when it's a random event, but when someone who tries and succeeds, why not feel good for them? Just because YOU didn't something, doesn't mean that it isn't good. After all, you can't have all the success, can you?
Tomorrow, I get to do one of my favorite things: leave work early. There's just something about heading out when everyone is still there that makes me feel good. Granted, I still check my email, remote in if need be, etc. But I digress. Tomorrow is important. Tomorrow, my wife gets sworn in to the Florida Bar. She's a real-deal attorney.
I couldn't be happier. Besides the obvious reasons (she's finally done with the hell that is law school, etc), I am genuinely happy when someone I care about succeeds in something. And, well, there really aren't many people I care about more than my wife.
Here's the awkward thing. People are congratulating ME.While I understand a few people are congratulating me by proxy, or because they know what being the significant other of a law student can entail, the majority looked at me like I had done something. I haven't. SHE did.
But something I've noticed lately. It's very difficult for some people to be genuinely happy for someone else, for no other reason that they're doing well. It's one thing to be relieved when a bad situation gets better, or when it's a random event, but when someone who tries and succeeds, why not feel good for them? Just because YOU didn't something, doesn't mean that it isn't good. After all, you can't have all the success, can you?
With tomorrow (today) being Easter, I like to sit back and think about all the hypocrisy that I'll deal with tomorrow. You see, I am going to church with the family. My father is a protestant minister, and my mother is Irish Catholic. From the age of 11 until 23, I was an atheist. Nothing to do with my parents, because they are good people, not to mention incredibly liberal (my father HATES the religious right, and my mother is pro-choice).
But back to my point. I had a 'experience' when I was 23 that changed my perception of life. I came to believe in god (notice the lack of capitalization), but here's where it starts and ends: There is a god, and I'm not it. Anything beyond that is someone else's ideas. And I'm not really into other people's ideas. So no Christianity for me, thankyouverymuch. And tomorrow's zombie celebration (religion or not, rise from the dead = zombie. That's how it works) will be filled with a bunch of people who assume, by my attendance alone, that I agree with them. And I don't.
I deal with this at work, and in my life, more than I'd like to admit. How often have you just stood aside and allowed a policy or a decision to be made, without even voicing a single thing about it? It's one thing to have a discussion with co-workers or friends and be out-voted, or if nothing else the disagreement mentioned. But to say nothing? Does that mean you agree?
Think about that before communion.
But back to my point. I had a 'experience' when I was 23 that changed my perception of life. I came to believe in god (notice the lack of capitalization), but here's where it starts and ends: There is a god, and I'm not it. Anything beyond that is someone else's ideas. And I'm not really into other people's ideas. So no Christianity for me, thankyouverymuch. And tomorrow's zombie celebration (religion or not, rise from the dead = zombie. That's how it works) will be filled with a bunch of people who assume, by my attendance alone, that I agree with them. And I don't.
I deal with this at work, and in my life, more than I'd like to admit. How often have you just stood aside and allowed a policy or a decision to be made, without even voicing a single thing about it? It's one thing to have a discussion with co-workers or friends and be out-voted, or if nothing else the disagreement mentioned. But to say nothing? Does that mean you agree?
Think about that before communion.
One of the more bizarre things in my life happened last night. Not bizarre in a "no one would believe me" or "this has to me something that the local news would want to hear about" sort of way, but just something that I never really envisioned happening.
My father and I became connected on LinkedIn. My 58 year old Baptist Minister father is networking.
Now this may not seem to usual to anyone else. But for me, it brought the last 17 years of my life full-circle.
Now my father and I have a fantastic relationship. We didn't when I was younger, but that was my fault, not his. We smoke cigars together, talk about being a parent (me being the new one, him being the old hat), and how we both deal with my mom (married 35 years and counting). But social networking? With my dad? I mean, doesn't real life trump those things?
Now I'll be the first to admit that I rely on on-line mediums for networking purposes. I had a LiveJournal for years. I met my wife on MySpace, and still use it to keep up with my friends, plan parties, etc. I don't use Facebook, but that's more because my college wasn't listed on it when it was becoming prominent, and I don't feel like adding one more site I look at on a daily basis. And I'm on LinkedIn (although I'm not too sure why or what I'm using it for). But finding my father on there, and "inviting him to join my network" just caught be off-guard.
I think the boomer generation might not be so behind on things as they appear to be. They've been able to adapt so far, so why stop now? Let's not forget that they still hold the controls. They control the money, and most of the management. And while Gen-Y is forming businesses on a daily basis, they still look to the large corporations for support. If you don't think so, just look at who makes and supports most of the devices you use on a daily basis. So there might still be some things to learn from them.
As for the networking, I think I'll just call my dad if I want to talk, though.
My father and I became connected on LinkedIn. My 58 year old Baptist Minister father is networking.
Now this may not seem to usual to anyone else. But for me, it brought the last 17 years of my life full-circle.
(Backstory: When the internet was just starting out, (pre-internet, really. BBS style, if anyone remembers what those even were.) I wanted to get on board. I PLEADED with my father to allow me to put in a 2400 baud modem in our computer (Acer 386...25 mhz processor and a whopping 100 mg hard drive!). His response was basically that there was no need and it was a waste of time and effort. Fast forward to 2008, and here we are. I own 5 computers in my home, and my dad has 3. All networked, on-line to the nines. Although he's a Mac guy, and I'm a Windows guy.)
Now my father and I have a fantastic relationship. We didn't when I was younger, but that was my fault, not his. We smoke cigars together, talk about being a parent (me being the new one, him being the old hat), and how we both deal with my mom (married 35 years and counting). But social networking? With my dad? I mean, doesn't real life trump those things?
Now I'll be the first to admit that I rely on on-line mediums for networking purposes. I had a LiveJournal for years. I met my wife on MySpace, and still use it to keep up with my friends, plan parties, etc. I don't use Facebook, but that's more because my college wasn't listed on it when it was becoming prominent, and I don't feel like adding one more site I look at on a daily basis. And I'm on LinkedIn (although I'm not too sure why or what I'm using it for). But finding my father on there, and "inviting him to join my network" just caught be off-guard.
I think the boomer generation might not be so behind on things as they appear to be. They've been able to adapt so far, so why stop now? Let's not forget that they still hold the controls. They control the money, and most of the management. And while Gen-Y is forming businesses on a daily basis, they still look to the large corporations for support. If you don't think so, just look at who makes and supports most of the devices you use on a daily basis. So there might still be some things to learn from them.
As for the networking, I think I'll just call my dad if I want to talk, though.
