🥳 A workiversary worth writing about
Ep 39: What's in a decade, getting in front of gaffes, and a fun-filled farewell at the Syracuse airport.
Well, today marks the beginning of a work week, sure, but it’s also the next push in my career if we’re measuring by the decade. This past Saturday marked my 10-year anniversary with my current employer. Workiversary? Yes!
Ten years is a long time. My kids grew into adults. I wrote three books (2 about remote work and my debut fiction novel I’m shopping around). Amy and I are about to be empty nesters, which blows our minds. Oh, and let’s not forget a little pandemic. And, I did it all while (and frankly, attribute it to) working from home. I started working from a home office full-time in 1998, which is why the recent New York Times Daily episode America’s Big City Brain Drain really resonated with me. Back in 1998, I was one of those college-educated young adults seeking a more affordable alternative to big-city living, and I found it here in upstate New York. I was one of the first to the plate, decades before it’d be covered broadly in big media. I’m so grateful I’ve been able to work this way for the past 25 years.
I looked back in my photos for a reminder about what ten years ago looked like, and since I wanted to take the above picture of how our clematis plants were doing anyway (they’re gorgeous, flanking our garden), here’s what this spot in our yard looked like a decade ago vs. today.
A Tip for the Modern Worker
Remember the two magical words that can help clear up an offense. Did you inadvertently offend someone? Perhaps it was in the heat of the moment in a tense discussion, or a communication misunderstanding, or a gaffe where you thought you were on mute. Whatever it is, get in front of it. It might be awkward to apologize and have an open discussion, but it sure beats letting it fester. Explain yourself, help others understand the situation, and move on. Luckily, there are two magic words that can help you start any conversation like this: “I’m sorry.”
This tip is one of 365 in my Handbook for the Modern Worker. Gaffes don’t happen to me often, but when they do, I simply won’t sleep unless it’s straightened out. I like to resolve things like this within minutes, not hours or days.
#365DayDraw
I drew this and wrote the accompanying annotation as part of my #365DayDraw project 7 years ago today.
Don't make me put a lock on that door, mister
Now why was I thinking about padlocks? Time has erased the reason – or to be more precise – locked it away in some random assemblage of neurons that may, at some point, fire in a precise manner to retrieve said memory. Or not.
Commentary
We said goodbye to Xander last Tuesday as he headed off to his job on Explora I. He'll be back home after Thanksgiving but before Christmas, so he thought it'd be awesome to cast our farewell in the mold of the opening scene of Christmas with the Kranks when Luther and Nora say goodbye to Blaire. If you haven't seen it, the original clip follows our customized version. Xander did a great job editing the video together!
Here’s the original clip we modeled this after.
Miscellanea
🌱 I got a new toy for landscaping this week: a stirrup hoe. Where have you been all my life, you magical device? Weeding is almost a pleasure now!
🏛 June is one of those months that I check our credit report. I read about this a long time ago, that you can go to annualcreditreport.com and get a free report from each agency every year. Well, you can do one better and go every 4 months and round-robin the agencies to check for anything awry. Here’s how we do it:
February: Equifax
June: Experian
October: TransUnion
🧩 It was bound to happen, and it happened this week. I won Wordle on the first try! Now I have to never use this word as my opening word.
