Plotting My Escape − 2 January, 2006
The beginning of a new year means it's time for me to pull out the camcorder and review what I said I would accomplish in 2005. For the past seven or so years, I've made a point of creating a "New Years Resolution Video" to recap what I had done in the year previous and what I wanted to accomplish in the 12 months to come. While I always manage to tackle one of the minor goals, I never seem to get the momentum to achieve the biggie......weight. Yepper, the 'ol spare tire shows no sign of deflating any time soon, but this year is going to be different. Yeah, right. Like that hasn't been the holy grail of resolution makers since time began. Well, I don't have a choice in 2006. Why???
Because this is the year I plot my escape. Escape from the cubicle. The corporate box. The drudgery of 8 'til whenever. Sometime in January of 2007, I plan to bid adieu to the corporate world which has, in all fairness, provided a very good income, but not much in the way of deep down fun. Yes, I said fun.
It's great when you can honestly say that you enjoy your profession. After nearly 20 years in information technology, I can look back with no regrets. I've met some really wonderful people over the years and my grey matter has never stopped being excercised, but it's just not FUN. Lest anyone suggest that this is the opening salvo of a mid-life crisis (I turned 40 last year), let me put that spectre to rest.
For whatever reason, I never gave up my boyhood fantasy of embarking on some grand adventure. Something a bit Indiana Jones, with a dash of Captain Kirk thrown in for good measure. Unfortunately, the only excitement afforded those in the technology industry usually involves "slaying" some computer glitch at 3am and living to tell the tale. I can recall telling my coworkers at a previous employer about my dream of hitting the trail (specficially, the Appalachian Trail) or wandering the backroads of the U.S. on some 1990s version of a vision quest. I've taken a few extended road trips over the years, the most notable being a three week stint tracing Route 66, but the fire has never been quenched.
The watermark on my monthly paycheck is in the form of a warning which reads, "Accept security at your peril. Cash at your own risk." Security. If ever a word was a wolf in a pinstripe suit, "security" would be it. The security of a 3,000 square foot mortgage. The security of a new car (and loan) every 3 years. The security to patriotically flash that plastic and make America strong. The security of knowing that I can get three whole weeks out of 52 that I can truly call my own (so long as I make sure to carry the laptop with me).
Don't misunderstand, I'm very grateful for the opportunities that God and my parents provided me. I've worked damned hard, but I just don't want to wait until I'm 65 years old to find my passion. Yes, not having a wife and 2.5 children has certainly helped the equation, but that's a story for another time. Today, it's about getting ready for 2007 --- six months on the Appalachian Trail, followed by six months (or possibly more) of doing something meaningful - volunteering, teaching, learning....whatever. A whole year to summon up the courage to say, "to hell with security".
Wish me luck.
