On becoming an Island

14 May 2008 14:19

For the last few months, I've been working from my home office.  This has a number of distinct advantages, especially when gas prices are high, and since I live in the Atlanta area, my typical commute would be hellish at normal office hours, whereas here at home, I only have to avoid falling down the stairs.  The coffee is good-it's obviously what I typically drink at home.  I get to have lunch with my family several days a week.  Some days, I can be home from work at 5:01 PM. 

So why the Island comment?  During the time spent in my basement office, I feel I'm becoming increasingly isolated, despite being more connected than ever before.  I have two seperate IM clients running (GoogleTalk, and Windows Live Messenger) for work and personal.  I have two email applications open nearly constantly.  I have a home phone, fax, and cell phone on my desk. 

But what's missing is the camaradarie of coworkers.  The good and the bad.  Leaning across the aisle to the next cube to ask a colleague a question.  Two minutes spent in the mini-kitchen answering questions about either what I'm working on, or how the family is doing.  I'm also presently missing my Third Place.  Heck, maybe even the second one!

Thankfully, I've been able to bounce technical questions off a friend from time to time (thanks, Joe B.!) due to the magic of Instant Messaging. 

So for a few reasons, I've thought about a blog.  First and foremost, I want to have a public place to improve my writing skills.  Second, I hope to have a place to store the nuggets of knowledge I gain while working on projects, and a quick way to reference them regardless of where I'm at.  Third, I hope to spur some commentary, at least occasionally, to engage in conversation beyond that with my existing circle.  Lastly, a few days ago, I saw this post from Stephen Forte, where he's seeking applicants via a much improved resume process. In item 1, he mentions "...a link to you online", and I realized that I really didn't have one worth showing...yet.  Not that I'm looking to apply, mind you, I just get the gist of what he's saying.

So, please, Enjoy! 

Tags:

Disclaimer
The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent my employer's view in anyway.

© Copyright 2024 Jim Moore