In All Reality

There have been a lot of huge changes in my life recently, both for myself and for people that I know, my career, and the industry I work in. It’s left me reflective on where to head from this point, and what possible outcomes the future may hold. I thought I’d expound on those directions a bit and offer some brief advice on plotting a course for the future.

Changes

First, the updates. My wife-to-be and I have purchased a house and moved in. I’ve really grown to understand the limitless value of family and friends in our preparations for the move, and then in the move itself. Several friends of mine from high school days have recently got married, and I’m reminded of how fast my wedding day is approaching. We’ve had nothing but support and help from heaped upon us as we try and deal with all of these busy events simultaneously.

On the note of weddings, it’s been interesting for me to observe the odd paradox that exists over the wedding ceremony and the marriage. So much emphasis is placed on the wedding day that couples have an unrealistic set of goals for what a successful event should be. The quantities of money spent on that single day are staggering in some cases, and we have resolved to stick with a budget and focus on the meaning of the day instead of the superficiality of it. Conversely, we as a society seem to view the actual marriage as more of a convenient merging of bank accounts and properties, instead of the joining of two people into a commitment of lifelong companionship – the substance with which civilization and the family unit it built upon. I cannot express the depth of how thankful I am to be blessed with someone like Brenda to fill that role, and have vowed that come what may I will not fall into the trappings of the dark side of the American Dream.

With the expenses and responsibilities associated with the wedding, home ownership, and planning for a future family… I’ve started to really evaluate my career path and goals for the future. My freelancing work has been very sparse lately because I haven’t had much time to devote to finding and pursuing leads. My current job hasn’t been quite what I had hoped it would be, but I felt I needed to take it to fill in the gaps and pay the bills. Some new opportunities have presented themselves, and I’m exploring those to see where they may lead.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about where my niche may lie. I’d love to make a living blogging about what I love, but I have a hard time determining exactly what that would be. To make matters worse, I don’t really enjoy writing that much… but I can write extensively on things I’m interested in. World of Warcraft, gardening, game reviews, cooking… but these are all things that have been done, and done over and over again. I’m encouraging Brenda to start working on a sewing blog, as it seems to be something she’d love to devote herself to do full time.

The web is at an interesting crossroads, with the odd ideals of XHTML fading away and the semantic focus of HTML5 on the way. I’m skeptical though, because the track record of technologies and their implementation and support by major browsers has been hit-and-miss. The web is moving toward an understanding of context that it hasn’t had before – the ability for algorithms and queries to understand not only a set of key terms, but how those terms relate to the whole of the content they are presented in. Ideally, this will produce a more reactive set of capabilities that allow for more responsive searches and finding of information. HTML5 and CSS3 are fantastic in their capabilities… if we can ever get them all available for public consumption.

Google is poised to enter the world of the operating system, to insert itself in direct competition with Microsoft and Apple. Microsoft recently acquired Yahoo and will be providing search services to that franchise in an effort to build their defenses again the impending Google tide. There are a lot of major players in the game going forward, and it will be interesting to see how Microsoft, Apple, Google, Yahoo, Adobe, and Mozilla transform in the future. Looking back, I’m amazed we have such technologies as Gmail, Google Voice, Air, Flex, ASP.NET, Spotlight, Firefox, and the iPhone. What will the next few years bring?

Pointers

I thought I’d write down some advice from things that I am attempting to do myself. Some guidelines for going forward, if you will. There’s no way to know what tomorrow will bring, but there’s no sense in not making the most of what you have for the future.

Be a good steward

This applies to everything. Everything. What we have right now is a gift, and it’s our responsibility to take what we’re given and do the most with it. Financially, emotionally, physically, relationally… everything. Set a goal for what you have, either sustainability or growth. This is especially true given current economic situations.

Be on the lookout

Always be perceptive to advantages. Either in your career, for your family, or for others. Alert friends to things that may help them in their jobs or at home. Make investments that will pay off for your household in the long run. Stop focusing on this moment exclusively and look around the bend…

Appreciate

… but don’t forget to enjoy right now. All the life changes I’ve experienced lately have helped me to remember that time marches on, and at some point we are all parted from each other. Take the extra time and spend it with your friends and your family. Start a small garden or planter and revel in the growth that occurs. Take an evening and sit outside and feel the cool air and ponder the sky. This is life, and it is good.

Be positive

This is tough for me, because I think people who tout this phrase are generally clueless about the truths of life. Yet, I can’t think of a more concise way to put it. Despair does no good, and cynicism clouds reason. Don’t be a fool or encourage naiveté, but stay open to better views.

Keep your head up.