Don't Get Lost, Now

Or....now.

I had a meeting on Wednesday morning at the Harvard Club in NYC, with Susan W. Bird. I've been a number of times before, for other meetings - but I always get confused on whether it is on 44th or 45th. So, I googled it on my bb.

And I thought...huh. I really can't get lost anymore. I have a TomTom in my car, I can search for anything via mobile, anywhere I go, and pull up a map if needed. I can't get lost. Actually, that means most people I know can't get lost.



Okay, who can get lost? Well, my mom. She doesn't do the tech thing so much. We take care of a cell for her, but let's be honest...she calls me on it, and she certainly isn't going to be doing any typing on a mobile device - she doesn't have a regular email address. (Please note I'm not poking fun here; she'd be the first to tell you the same thing.)

Susan and I had an interesting conversation about it - what that means, and how it will be so strange to my children when I recount some "old" anecdote about how their dad and I got lost somewhere and they'll say "well, how did you do that? Was there no wifi or cell service in that area?" Actually...they probably wouldn't even have that issue. Le sigh.

(On a side note, Susan is fascinating, and has a fascinating company, wf360...check it out.)

So then I came home at the end of that day, and thought about it a little more, and I recall my daughter's Christening last fall. A relative got lost on his way. There was some ensuing impatience with the fact that he's "old school" (sans mobile) from certain members of my family. And how there is no understanding....how it almost seems ridiculous.

Did we lose our patience that fast? Did we all just lose the opportunity to get lost and actually find something new in the process? Good, or bad? Or....both.

Personal Business

I have a friend, a mentor of sorts, introduced to me by another mentor of sorts (who, come to think of it...was introduced to me by another mentor of sorts....but I digress...), who articulated the point that business and personal interactions aren't necessarily neatly separated, and that's a good thing.

I completely agree with this. Now that I've been at this work-for-myself thing for 6 months (yee-ha, btw), I have the ability to work on what I want to work on. With who I want to work with, more importantly.

And you know what...I only reach out to the people I really enjoyed working with. Sure, I'm networking my head off, but I have the luxury of pursuing engagement with folks I liked before, and that I know I'll enjoy working with again. I've got that handful of folks in my past that I could reach out to...big positions at big places...movers and shakers, if you will...but if I didn't like working with them then, why would I now?

I can't detach people from business. People DO business. I like people. Most, anyway.

Astronomy Lesson

Apologies for being such an absent blogger. Sheesh, what good am I?

O gave me some great fodder today. We went to IKEA this weekend, picked up a new roll of paper for his easel. Hooked it up today and he started drawing late this afternoon. Of course, I am not allowed to look at it until he is finished.

Here is his masterpiece. It is a picture of "space."


"See the rocketship? That's me, me in the rocketship...and that up there, that's the alien spaceship. That alien spaceship is trying to destroy my rocket but I'm not going to let it." (note shooting in picture)

"Wow, bud - that's pretty cool. I like the spaceship, but those are bad guys, right? What's down at the bottom?"

"That's an alien."

"He's a good alien?"

"Yeah, he's a good alien. And then that (points to top of picture)...that's...uh....that's the thing in space - the thing - the thing in space that pours milk. Yeah, what is that called Mom, that thing in space that pours milk?"

"Umm...(significant pause)...the big dipper?"

"Yeah, that's the big dipper. Yeah...that's what it is."