Life is Never Binary
As much as I’ve made my living over the past four decades from computers, an inherently binary system, my successes or failures have never been binary. I’ve written about breadcrumbs in my life before and, in retrospect, I can see how a positive has come out of a negative situation. Nothing that has happened has ever been completely good or absolutely bad.
Overcoming Performance Anxiety
I’ve always had a crippling fear of performing in front of people, which is funny because my dream as a teen was to be a rock star. Delusional teenage Kevin even bought a cheap Les Paul knock-off guitar to fulfill this dream. Inexpensive guitars today are pretty awesome, but back in the ‘70s, cheap guitars were horrible instruments — mine was no exception. After years of lessons on a clunky guitar, my skills improved at a snail’s pace and I never felt I was good enough to play for anyone. When I started college and found I had more natural skills for writing computer software than music, I discarded my dreams of touring and playing in a band.
2017: A Good Year for Me
There was a lot to be angry and sad about during 2017, but I can't afford to start a new year focusing on the negatives. Life is just too short to waste time on the darkness. Instead, I'm going to begin 2018 by reflecting on the positives over the last 12 months.
Rise Above
Judy and I saw Hidden Figures today and it drove home just how important it is to stay vigilant to inequality and injustice. It made me cringe to see the rights of women and minorities trampled as recently as the 1960s—a decade of my youth. That movie was especially poignant on a day filled with impressive attendance at all the women’s marches around our country and the world.
Real Power
Every important change in our country has come from the people making a decision to do things differently and then pushing for the government to ratify that change. Politicians don’t act, they react. They know that they have to do what their constituents demand or they will no longer hold a seat of power.
If you have been sitting back waiting for the government to fix your problems… wake up.
Taking Risks
This article is for my children. It will probably be ignored, as is most parental advice, but I need at least to do my part to communicate the power of taking risks in life.
Moments
Life is full of little gems; those moments that you want to bask in and never leave.
Today was a sunny Saturday morning and we had just finished breakfast. Judy and I were sharing a decadent, almond milk mocha—sharing one eases the calorie guilt—when she looked at me and said, “I don't want to move.” I was confused for a second, but then it clicked that my lovely wife meant, “move from this moment.” And the moment was good.
Privacy
There are two kinds of privacy: that which you freely discard and the privacy that is ripped from your hands.
People seems to be confused about the difference. If you post private information on Facebook or Twitter, you are doing so of your own free will. Your sharing, or over-sharing, is all of your own accord.