I haven't been blogging a lot but it isn't because I'm not interested in sharing. Nothing but the converse is true. It's simply that I've been so busy with my re-invention that I haven't stopped to tell others about it. In my first blog posting I stated somethings that I wanted to change. In my second blog posting I stated some of my motivation for changing (death can be a big motivator). In my third blog posting I would like to state how I'm executing some of the change.
Before I go into that detail of how I'm executing the change I wanted to stop and recognize something I saw that was inspiring. Today I was watching a TV show, that I just start viewing, and it resonated with much of my second blog posting. The show is called Touch and it stars Keifer Sutherland. The episode I just watched was Season 1 Episode 6 - Lost and Found. I'm not sure I agree with the shows premise but it has been entertaining to watch. Episode 6 had a character who got on a plane that crashed. This particular character was very bright but was working for a company who was profit driven (profits > ethics). He didn't feel like he had made a difference (in the world) and wanted to fix that before he died. He managed to survive the plane crash and spent the rest of the episode trying to undo something he had put in place for his company that would make millions but take a historical building down to do it. In the end, he made a difference but not exactly how he thought he would. If you haven't seen Touch I'd recommend it but definitely check out episode 6. You'll recognize the character I'm talking about instantly.
If you recall one of the things I had stated in my first blog post was that I am disheartened that two of my kids don't live with me full time. They live with my ex-wife. Due to this custody arrangement I see my children four times a year. Which is enough for them to know that I love them to death but not really enough for them to learn my values and what makes their father tick (my core beliefs, values, morals, etc). Late last year I gave this a lot of thought and found a solution that I really liked. My solution was to write a book!
I know what you are thinking. There has to be an easier way for you to convey your beliefs and values than writing an entire book. I thought it was a good idea for a couple of reasons. For one I've been told I'm pretty articulate when it comes to writing. My friends send me small emails and very often I respond with paragraphs of information that just flows from my mind to my fingertips. Before I know it I've written a short story in response to a simple one line email :). Secondly I remember what it was to be a teenager (my kids, who live with their mother, are 14 and 17). When I was young, if my parents told me to go left I'd intentionally go right. Thank you but I'll make my own mistakes! One of my favorite quotes is from Mark Twain and he said, "When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years." With a book they will undoubtedly read it now but I'm not sure how much will stick with them at this age. Yet if they have access to this book, as they get older and more mature, they can revisit it again by re-reading it. I have no doubt the second time they read it the content will be much more meaningful.
So my first thought was to just take random topics and then write about them. Each chapter would cover my thoughts and feelings on that particular topic. While that may be an effective medium to pen my beliefs and values it would make for a very dry read. So I decided to really challenge myself and write a fictional story in which as the story unfolds you'll see the characters in the book exude my values and beliefs. Pretty tricky eh? As you get attached to characters and get to know their beliefs and values, you'll actually be learning about me.
I'm much further along than you might think. While you have just found out about this idea I've been working on it since last last year. I have the entire story outlined and have most of the main characters flushed out. I've actually written the first four chapters and am plowing along at a steady pace. It's not as fast as I thought it would be but part of that is my attention to detail (DBA training at its best). The story will be consistent and the details will be as accurate as I can make them. I have three proof readers and an editor all working to make sure the book is something more than a dry read. The proof readers are reading each chapter to help me make sure the story flows and is interesting. The editor is there to catch my flamboyant lack of commas and spruce up the grammar/punctuation. It's been a lot of fun so far!
So this obviously parlays itself into one of my other objectives. How do I leave my fingerprint on the world and make a difference? Well one possibility is that instead of keeping the book private I might publish this book if I think it has merit. I'll be happy if just three people read it; that would be, of course, all three of my kids. However if I pour my heart and soul into and actually craft an interesting fictional story I might be able to sell a few copies. So for me, this is a chance to explore the possibility that I can write and if I do it well enough I might have a possible career shift in my immediate future.
In my next blog posting I'll share with you my thoughts on how finding a new career (even if it isn't writing) is going to be an awesome experience as I find a way to make a difference in the world MY way. I'll leave you with a quote that I ran into recently that really inspired me one day. The quote is, "What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it." The author is unknown but what did you do today? Was it worth it? Make sure you make every day count!
