In this crazy and unprecedented time I find myself oddly at peace. Disclaimer....this is not about folks truly hurt and damaged by the virus. My heart, prayers and support has been out there for them. My family has been doing our part at keeping our distance and buying local. This particular train of thought is about how this insane turn of events has underlined my purpose for this world and how my talents a) do not and never have needed to be in a physical office and b) my insights can help people with their problems thru patience and simple messenger apps.
The first of these is ironic. My main company insists on a physical presence. Very 19th century of them. But the truth is the same as the first companies I worked for. We were continents apart for some of our customers, but the work and its value spoke for itself. I learned my trade in service bureaus - by definition we were always remote. Naturally, this is before every company ran over seas for some BS cheaper price, but I digress. My talents and the design work that I exceed at can be done anywhere as long as I have an internet connection. I can help others succeed regardless of the environment around us. This has been a time of introspection, a time of truly knowing a real work/life balance and a time of proving that all the claims that I can exceed at my job from anywhere really are true. The product of my work has always been my greatest achievement and this time has only reinforced my claims that I can be remote or on site ... it doesn't matter. The only obstacles are those with 19th century philosophies and those with mindsets that can't open up to the idea that my best work happens wherever. Maybe that's in my home office, maybe that's on a beach somewhere. The reality is my talents are unique and this world needs to get used to that! After this virus is in the past, I will be curious if the new normal doesn't redefine itself in some cases...hmm. My second epiphany came when multiple people needed help with their home networks. This is difficult. In practice I need to see their homes and make observations about their situations. But with their patience, they became my eyes. This was an exercise in both my patience and my humility. I became completely dependent on others on the other end of a text message. But this was a very clear illustration of a job that needs my physical presence. The contrast between these two very different situations can't be more clear. But here is the rub. The company that I work for pays the bills....period. They produce products that maybe someone might benefit from. In contrast, there are real people and families that can benefit from my insights with building networks. But those can't fill my time with steady work. I yearn for a steady smaller business that needs a one person IT guy to keep things running. Once again, I look around at this crazy time and think at the end of it all might be some new paradigms and new normal. We shall see....
