Wednesday, January 02, 2013

He's Back. Look out!

I had never really thought of myself as a workaholic.  I've now had to consider the possibility that it may be true.  The Director, himself a driven person, has urged me to find balance.  I find that an extreme signal.

Upon reflection, I find that I have, indeed, immersed myself deeply in this journey.  This really has been a journey, too.  I see myself as being on a pilgrimage. Let me share some words with you from David Whyte.  This is from Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity.

"At its best, work seems never-ending only because, like life, it is a pilgrimage, a journey in which we progress not only through the world but through stages of understanding.  Good work, done well for the right reasons and with an end in mind, has always been a sign, in most human traditions, of an inner and outer maturity.  Its achievement is celebrated as an individual triumph and a gift to our societies.  A very hard-won approval.

Seen in the light of a pilgrim's journey, work takes on a greater significance than merely paying the bills and keeping the ever-present wolf from the door.  With something larger in mind, something yet to be fully imagined, something to be looked for, then the hazards and hopes, the trepidation and the triumphs of work are magnified and given import and meaning."

I am a pilgrim seeking continued enlightment. This "job" has proved to be an excellent vessel for that purpose. As engaging as this journey has been, and continues to be, I find that I have neglected other things that have brought me pleasure and relaxation in what seems now like another life.

Blogging is something I've particularly missed.  My sincerest appreciation goes out to those who have left comments now and then wondering when there might be more posts. One in particular rode all the way here to see if I was still alive.  It's good to be missed instead of finding out that people are happy to no longer hear from you.  The past 10 months have given me plenty of material.  The pressure has caused the writing bug to blow into the open again.  You've been warned.

The quote above talks about trepidation.  There was some when I applied.  But I gritted my teeth and went for it.



 

I grabbed the proverbial bull by the horns.
 

I would either fly or crash.  By the way, I didnt' know you could go someplace to get training in how to properly collide but the sign above the door says differently.



Imagine being invited by a team owner to jump onto the factory bike.  ( Ok, I know this isn't anywhere near that, but it's the only photo I had on short notice ).  You worry about even staying on the track.  Then imagine surprise, followed shortly by elation, that you not only keep up but actually improve the lap times a bit.



To celebrate my newfound rediscovery of fun outside work I did my first panoramic photo of a rainbow that appeared a couple of weeks ago.  Yes, it's an accomplishment that's way behind what some of you have already done.  A certain blogger in Denver did that years ago.  What can I say?



 
I'm also working on the blog lay-out.  Bear with me.  This new fangled template stuff is going to bend to my will eventually.  For good or bad, I'm back.  I'm smiling, hope you are, too!
 
 
Miles and smiles,
 
Dan

25 comments:

Trobairitz said...

Hooray and welcome back Dan. We've missed you.

Happy New Year to you and your lovely wife.

I look forward to reading your posts in 2013 as you find your balance.

RichardM said...

It's great to hear from you again. Happy New Year!

You, of all people, should have this "balance" thing down pat....

Unknown said...

Dan:

welcome back "BIG GUY". All of us Really, really, really missed you.

so sorry my blog photos are gone but Webshots, my image provider, shut down and created a mess with all my older posts.

I remember when I was at your building I didn't notice that much water on the parking lot so I was probably looking where I was going and NOT DOWN.

Life is more than just working, smell some roses along the way

bob
Riding the Wet Coast
My Flickr // My YouTube

redlegsrides said...

Welcome back Sir! You've been missed.

dom

Keith - Circle Blue said...

Yay!
~Keith

Roger said...

Wondered where the hell uh ad got to!!

cpa3485 said...

I'm Smiling!

BeemerGirl said...

Yay! Been missing your quiet posts to funner riding. ;) Looking forward to your missives.

Krysta in MKE said...

YEA!!!! He's back!!
I've checked in every couple weeks, hoping to see a new post.
My faith is rewarded. :D

Anonymous said...

It's alive!
Or is it?
Maybe our Dan got told to take time for himself and family and discovered there was a form of communication missed (by others as well) and hence sometime in the future we shall once again see IronMan rise from obscurity.

Dean W said...

NOT a workaholic? He's not a comedian, either...

He has slowed down; the incidence of getting 6:00am emails has dropped off by at least 10%.

Suzu Gladius said...

Finding balance - a work-in-progress for me as well. But I'm getting better at it the older I get! I find that there are only a few things everyday that need attending to, the rest can wait. Life is better and way more fun that way...welcome back.

irondad said...

Trobairitz,

Thanks for the welcome. I enjoyed looking at your post that looked back on 2012 in photos. I hope to be able to do that in 2013!

Take care,

Dan

irondad said...

Richard M,

Old age and treachery, my friend. Taking their toll!

Take care,

Dan

irondad said...

Bobskoot,

Surprisingly, there really wasn't that much water in the parking lot when I took that photo. I had rained heavily and then the sun came out. The parking lot is wet, but not flooded. Just a trick of the light and the depth of field on the camera, I guess.

I did like the way it turned out, I have to say.

Take care,

Dan

irondad said...

Charlie6,

Thank you, It's nice to be missed. Now I also have the fun prospect of catching up with everybody's blogs. I notice that a number of others have fallen off their writing, too.

Take care,

Dan

irondad said...

Keith,

Maybe not "Yay!" but I appreciate the thought. Wait and see how it turns out. :)

Take care,

Dan

irondad said...

Roger,

First the funny accent and now you're writing like a motorcyclist?

Sorry to miss you in San Francisco. Hope you enjoyed your visit here.

Take care,

Dan

irondad said...

cpa3485,

I hope you're also smiling because your world has brightened. I need to go to your blog and see how you're doing. You never know what you daredevil accountants have been up to!

Take care,

Dan

irondad said...

Beemergirl,

Thanks for the comment. I'm pleased you've missed my writing. Of course, now I feel pressure to make it fun for you!

Take care,

Dan

irondad said...

Krysta,

I thought of you, my faithful friend, when I watched the Green Bay game last weekend. Almost sent you a text when they won. Hope all is well!

Take care,

Dan

irondad said...

Bryce,

How cool! Now I'll think of myself as a Phoenix rising from the ashes.

How is life for you, old friend? I thought of you the other day as I came across the CD about the Nikon D40 you were so kind as to send me. I no longer have the D40 but I want to keep the CD as it came from you.

Take care,

Dan



irondad said...

Dean,

What? Not a comedian? I guess looks don't count like they used to.

Take care,

Dan

irondad said...

Suzu,

I'm participating in a leadership program. Last week the speaker said we were tasked with ensuring that the things important to us remained at the center of our lives while we took care of the things we needed to.

That sounds simple. It becomes complicated when you try to tell the difference! I like my work and it's important to me. On the other hand.......

Take care,

Dan

Krysta in MKE said...
This comment has been removed by the author.