Alias Jones to grey-haired father: “Did you ever have a mid-life crisis?”
Alias Jones’ grey-haired father: “Hell, I’m 35 years into mine…”
Ok, so you probably get where I’m going with this.
As of late November, I was Vice-President of Sales for a small, 45-person consulting firm. On paper, it was the perfect job for me. In reality, it was more of a headache than anything else. And that would likely have been the case wherever I was, just like it was in the jobs before. Some people are more fit to work for others, some are more fit to work for themselves. I’m heading toward the latter. Some call it “issues with authority”. Others have called it “issues with mediocrity”. I suspect that both are at play, with assorted other issues.
So, welcome to my mid-life crisis. It should be entertaining.
Rather than get the convertible sports car (that won’t cure me), I want a real change. I want a change of scenery, new faces, new perspectives, new cultures and experiences, and quite possibly, new philosophies. And I want enough time away from the grind to understand what the rest of my life should look like, and how I should live it. Its tough to think about such
things when you’re staring at the same four walls everyday. So away from the familiar, and into the unfamiliar.
Not long after college, my friend, Kenny and I were having dinner at Ted’s Greek Restaurant on Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas. Ted came over to the table, and began telling us about Greece and talking us through the locales on the posters with such dramatically beautiful scenery. “You should visit my country”, he told us, and we decide then and there that we
would.
Our plan was to land in Portugal, and backpack or bicycle our way around the Mediterranean, and take the ferry from Italy to Greece, where we would stay until we had the next big idea. But before the departure date came around, I received a job offer that I felt I just couldn’t turn down, so I accepted it. That may have been the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. Well, probably not THE stupidest thing, but it proves again that youth really is wasted on the young.
So here I am, 15 years later, about to take this same trip, and I’m only slightly worse for the wear and tear of the years. And the funny thing is that while I still think I should have gone then, I doubt that I would appreciate it in the same way that I expect to now. It’s kind of hard to explain, but I think the lessons I’ve learned over the years will make this journey that much more meaningful to me. And I’m sure I’ll appreciate not punching the clock every day.
So, who am I?
My People: I recently ended a long-term relationship with a girl I love dearly. While I’m certain it was the right thing to do for both of us, that doesn’t make it any easier. I adore my family, and I know they adore me. I’ve got some very close friends from grade school, high school and college that are like family to me as, although I don’t see them nearly enough. I’ve got a core group of former co-workers, clients and other friends who I greatly admire and appreciate. And I’ve got many, many other people that I know to a somewhat lesser degree, and who’s company I enjoy. And I meet interesting (and sometimes, amazing) people almost every day, whether its at Starbucks, or in the waiting room while I’m getting my oil changed. This website is for all of My People.
My Interests / Skills / Philosophies: I’d much rather fly a kite on a nice day than play golf. I’m not very handy around the house, but I hold my own in the yard. I’d rather sit at the kid’s table than with the adults. I like keeping (mostly) fit. I love vegetables, and think I should grow my
own. I would prefer a yard with goats and chickens to a nicely manicured St. Augustine lawn. I love new ideas that challenge my old ideas, and I like to entice people to challenge their own. My curious mind is better fed by PBS than the networks or even cable. I’m humbled by how little we understand about our universe, our planet and ourselves as humans. I’m
disappointed in the level of discourse on important issues in my country, and in the world. I’m fascinated by how, for me, under-planned travel tends to exceed my expectations (and creates better stories), and over-planned travel is usually a disappointment.
Hometown: Texas
That’s just an awkward glimpse. Tomorrow I may explain it completely
differently, but at the moment, this much is true.*
* ALL CLAIMS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE *