Listen Up!

Did you struggle to stay awake on New Year’s Eve as a child, expecting something exciting to happen at midnight? When you got older did you try to make something exciting happen? When you reach curmudgeon status like me, you wonder why there is not another time zone in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean so we could just get all time nonsense over at a more reasonable hour. The truth is, every year contains some magic for someone. 2019 might have been dull and boring for you personally, but someone else will remember it fondly because they met someone special, took an awesome trip, discovered a new passion, bought a house, had a child, watched their team win the big game, or reached some other personal milestone. While we “live” for those special moments, they can be unpredictable and fleeting. Many times we do not see them coming and have to “check the tape” later to fully appreciate them. One of my favorite singer/songwriters, Steve Goodman, wrote about how great it would be if you could just put your life on videotape. Today, I fear, we are so busy “recording” everything that we are missing lots of opportunities for interacting with each other. We spend too much time being “alone together” because we are staring at the screens of our devices. Those of you “stuck working” during the end of the year holidays have an opportunity to have actual conversations with co-workers. If you are already “off” for the year, do something fun with your friends and family. The devices will be there when you get back.