The aforementioned deleted post....
Waiting for the Boom
My favorite engineering professor in college was a great storyteller. One of his most memorable to me was a story about a failure test for an airplane wing, and today I’ve been contemplating it as a parable for early retirement.
The engineering team at his aerospace company had prepared for several months for a key mechanical test of a new airplane wing – they were going to stretch the wing in tension until it breaks. Although they had run countless simulations to assess at what point the wing would fail, they knew from experience that in the real world there are always little variables you can’t account for. So nothing beats a physical test.
As building a one-off wing and destroying it is both a very expensive test and also a very interesting one, the company took the opportunity to invite various corporate bigwigs and outside vendors to witness the display. The event took on a party atmosphere, with the executives chatting over wine and cheese while the test began in the background.
Any veteran of these tests could easily tell the engineers from everyone else by one simple observation – who was watching the strain gage and who was not. When the wing approached its failure point a little earlier than expected, the gage started to move into a critical band and the engineers saw it coming. While the execs were laughing with their backs to the setup, the engineers covered their ears. The subsequent BOOM of a wing explosively failing in tension left the engineers cheering, and the CEO with wine spilled all over his shirt.
In my more stressed moments throughout my career, I imagined myself as the wing under tension, ready to crack at any moment. But at this moment of clarity, I realize I’m the engineer. My eye is on the strain gage, and I can see my window to give notice to my employer approaching extremely quickly. The tension is palpable and honestly unsettling. As I reach to cover my ears, I picture my boss who is blissfully unaware of the surprise he’s about to experience. I think of all the hours that have gone into building my reputation and trust with my coworkers, and how once the wing breaks it can never go back together in the same way. The wing is my current job, and I’m about to purposefully break it. My shoulders clench. You never get used to this.
In the final moments, I think ahead to the aftermath. While the team contemplates the mess, I’ll be free. Free from the old blueprints and predictive calculations. Free to study the pieces and throw the weakest ones away. Free to learn from the old design and to build a newer, stronger, nimbler one. That doesn’t make the transition without stress or the follow-up without effort, but sometimes to build something great you first need to break something good. I look forward to celebrating the boom and shouting “That was awesome! Now what?”
Tyler9000's Journal
Re: Tyler9000's Journal
New Beginnings
My proudest moment as a designer was, interestingly, during a job interview. The VP across the table asked me to talk about a product I had worked on that had made it to market. Perceptive of my surroundings, I pushed my portfolio aside, leaned back, and pointed to his phone laying face-down on the table. "Well, I designed your iPhone case. How do you like it?" Easiest interview I've ever had – I started a few weeks later.
Fast forward a year and a half, and I was in a crowded room of coworkers where we were being informed by a man we’d never seen before that the entire division was being eliminated by corporate, and we should pack our things and leave by 5pm. The moment was a clarifying one, in that the reality of a life based in consumer product development had come full circle. The award-winning iPhone cases I had feverishly sacrificed my personal life to build a few years ago were long since obsolete and stuffed into landfills, as now was my once promising job as a lead designer for the hot next consumer electronics device. Life imitates art. And I realized I needed a new medium for happiness.
It was about that time that my wife introduced me to the concept of very early retirement and pointed me towards a few books and blogs (including ERE). While I can't say I was immediately a convert from a careerist mentality, the seeds were sewn in fertile soil for a life lived differently.
.....
This week was tough. I knew I wanted to resign from my job, but I couldn’t. That was actually a new feeling for me, as I’ve resigned several times in my career. Those conversations weren’t always easy but were generally straightforward. This isn’t a good fit for either of us. I’ve accepted another position. I’m moving out of state.
But this time was different. For a while I excused it as fear, but I knew it was something more. Fundamentally, I just couldn’t figure out what to say because I couldn’t succinctly state to myself why I wanted what I wanted. I truly like my job and couldn’t justify quitting, even when I want something else even more and have been planning it for a long time. I was at an impasse.
It was about that time that my wife worked her magic again. We discussed it over dinner on Thursday, and I casually mentioned that the most rewarding parts of my job I’d do for free. She immediately focused on that statement, and I soon realized that was the key I was searching for. Parts of work meet certain emotional needs for me, and once I learned to isolate those activities from the extraneous crap using the “free” filter, I was set. If I’d do them for free, then I can certainly find creative ways to meet those needs without a full-time job. And with all the extra time, I can finally meet other emotional needs that have been neglected for years with other rewarding activities.
I found the freedom I was searching for. And in my confidence my wife found hers. Our partnership is our greatest ERE secret weapon.
On Friday, almost four years after that first early retirement conversation, we both gave notice that we are leaving our jobs to embark on an extended break from career – together – to focus on other rewarding things that don’t necessarily make money. It’s not a retirement. It’s a new beginning.
BOOM!
My proudest moment as a designer was, interestingly, during a job interview. The VP across the table asked me to talk about a product I had worked on that had made it to market. Perceptive of my surroundings, I pushed my portfolio aside, leaned back, and pointed to his phone laying face-down on the table. "Well, I designed your iPhone case. How do you like it?" Easiest interview I've ever had – I started a few weeks later.
Fast forward a year and a half, and I was in a crowded room of coworkers where we were being informed by a man we’d never seen before that the entire division was being eliminated by corporate, and we should pack our things and leave by 5pm. The moment was a clarifying one, in that the reality of a life based in consumer product development had come full circle. The award-winning iPhone cases I had feverishly sacrificed my personal life to build a few years ago were long since obsolete and stuffed into landfills, as now was my once promising job as a lead designer for the hot next consumer electronics device. Life imitates art. And I realized I needed a new medium for happiness.
It was about that time that my wife introduced me to the concept of very early retirement and pointed me towards a few books and blogs (including ERE). While I can't say I was immediately a convert from a careerist mentality, the seeds were sewn in fertile soil for a life lived differently.
.....
This week was tough. I knew I wanted to resign from my job, but I couldn’t. That was actually a new feeling for me, as I’ve resigned several times in my career. Those conversations weren’t always easy but were generally straightforward. This isn’t a good fit for either of us. I’ve accepted another position. I’m moving out of state.
But this time was different. For a while I excused it as fear, but I knew it was something more. Fundamentally, I just couldn’t figure out what to say because I couldn’t succinctly state to myself why I wanted what I wanted. I truly like my job and couldn’t justify quitting, even when I want something else even more and have been planning it for a long time. I was at an impasse.
It was about that time that my wife worked her magic again. We discussed it over dinner on Thursday, and I casually mentioned that the most rewarding parts of my job I’d do for free. She immediately focused on that statement, and I soon realized that was the key I was searching for. Parts of work meet certain emotional needs for me, and once I learned to isolate those activities from the extraneous crap using the “free” filter, I was set. If I’d do them for free, then I can certainly find creative ways to meet those needs without a full-time job. And with all the extra time, I can finally meet other emotional needs that have been neglected for years with other rewarding activities.
I found the freedom I was searching for. And in my confidence my wife found hers. Our partnership is our greatest ERE secret weapon.
On Friday, almost four years after that first early retirement conversation, we both gave notice that we are leaving our jobs to embark on an extended break from career – together – to focus on other rewarding things that don’t necessarily make money. It’s not a retirement. It’s a new beginning.
BOOM!
Re: Tyler9000's Journal
I really enjoy reading your journal. Great posts!!
You're at a very exciting time to read about.
You're at a very exciting time to read about.
Re: Tyler9000's Journal
That is inspirational - making the leap from the workplace to the unknown is about so much more than having the money to do it. Congratulations on your achievement.
It's strange - I am struggling with the same decision myself, yet reading your journal I have no doubt that you and your wife have made the right move to leave behind the familiar comforts of work achievement and identity to discover something bigger and better.
It's strange - I am struggling with the same decision myself, yet reading your journal I have no doubt that you and your wife have made the right move to leave behind the familiar comforts of work achievement and identity to discover something bigger and better.
Re: Tyler9000's Journal
What a great post. Terrified? Exhilarated? Both?Tyler9000 wrote:Our partnership is our greatest ERE secret weapon.
On Friday, almost four years after that first early retirement conversation, we both gave notice that we are leaving our jobs to embark on an extended break from career – together – to focus on other rewarding things that don’t necessarily make money. It’s not a retirement. It’s a new beginning.
BOOM!
Re: Tyler9000's Journal
Congratulations! Yeeee hawwww!!Tyler9000 wrote: On Friday, almost four years after that first early retirement conversation, we both gave notice that we are leaving our jobs to embark on an extended break from career – together – to focus on other rewarding things that don’t necessarily make money. It’s not a retirement. It’s a new beginning.
BOOM!
Exactly! That's the key!Tyler9000 wrote: If I’d do them for free, then I can certainly find creative ways to meet those needs without a full-time job. And with all the extra time, I can finally meet other emotional needs that have been neglected for years with other rewarding activities.
I think you guys have a very bright and low-stress future ahead of you!
Re: Tyler9000's Journal
Thanks, guys. I really appreciate the support.
On Friday I felt fried and numb. Like a short circuit of terror and joy, it was an unsustainable emotional current.
On Saturday, I felt relieved. The brain started to process that I really did it and didn't just dream it. But it wasn't a full relief, as the information wasn't public yet and I still had the burden of carrying a secret.
On Sunday, I felt nothing. We watched football all day and basically ignored the subject altogether. It was great to not be consumed with it for a day, and to simply enjoy life. (That's the goal! I look forward to doing this a lot more.)
This morning, I felt a little anxious walking in. But five minutes into the regularly scheduled Monday morning project management meeting I smiled and felt reassured that I'm doing the right thing.
That was followed by a surreal day where I was relatively busy, my boss never mentioned our Friday conversation, nobody else knows, and it's like it never happened. I felt for a moment that perhaps the whole conversation was a hallucination. Or maybe I'm caught in Groundhog Day and need to discover the secret to escaping the loop.
Eventually I broke the stalemate by emailing my boss. He said he informed HR and they'll get back to me. In my anxiousness to take the next step in my plan, it's easy to forget that it's a total surprise to everyone else. I need to remember to be patient.
In the meantime I'll practice being confident and relaxed. I can get used to that part.
That, and more.Ego wrote:Terrified? Exhilarated? Both?
On Friday I felt fried and numb. Like a short circuit of terror and joy, it was an unsustainable emotional current.
On Saturday, I felt relieved. The brain started to process that I really did it and didn't just dream it. But it wasn't a full relief, as the information wasn't public yet and I still had the burden of carrying a secret.
On Sunday, I felt nothing. We watched football all day and basically ignored the subject altogether. It was great to not be consumed with it for a day, and to simply enjoy life. (That's the goal! I look forward to doing this a lot more.)
This morning, I felt a little anxious walking in. But five minutes into the regularly scheduled Monday morning project management meeting I smiled and felt reassured that I'm doing the right thing.
That was followed by a surreal day where I was relatively busy, my boss never mentioned our Friday conversation, nobody else knows, and it's like it never happened. I felt for a moment that perhaps the whole conversation was a hallucination. Or maybe I'm caught in Groundhog Day and need to discover the secret to escaping the loop.
Eventually I broke the stalemate by emailing my boss. He said he informed HR and they'll get back to me. In my anxiousness to take the next step in my plan, it's easy to forget that it's a total surprise to everyone else. I need to remember to be patient.
In the meantime I'll practice being confident and relaxed. I can get used to that part.
Re: Tyler9000's Journal
Aww man, absolutely! You have to break that hallucination as soon as you can, otherwise management will start to believe it.Tyler9000 wrote:Thanks, guys. I really appreciate the support.
I felt for a moment that perhaps the whole conversation was a hallucination.
You're free!
Re: Tyler9000's Journal
Freedom & Fear
Today was a wonderful day.
It's official - my last day at the office is October 31st, and the entire office knows. The weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and the happiness is really starting to take root.
With all the cards finally on the table, it's a good time to take stock of how my previous fears of this day have unfolded in reality:
1) Fear of coworker backlash. I work with nice people, but you never know what to expect with something like this. Everyone has been overwhelmingly supportive. Some are jealous, but all are outwardly happy for me. And I've already received several personal emails of genuine support and well wishes. My favorite was from the owner's wife, who told me that I will be missed but I will never regret doing this. I anticipate there may be a few "moments" as work responsibilities are transitioned to others, but I'm confident that in the end I have not unintentionally burned any bridges. Fear gone.
2) Fear of ruining my career. I have a good thing going, and the idea of damaging it permanently for a fun experiment was hard for me to accept. Today, HR told me that they'd have me back in a heartbeat, and I even have a two-year window where they can reinstate all seniority and vacation accrual. Basically, I have a solid career safety net if I choose to exercise it. Fear gone.
3) Fear that I've read all the signs wrong and I'm making a huge mistake. HR also made a casual comment that meant more to me than she'll ever realize. Paraphrasing: "You know, you're lucky. The company is very understanding of your decision, and in my experience I can't imagine another company being nearly as supportive. In the grand scheme of things, you truly came to the right place." I've often prayed for reassurance that I'm making the right decision, and this was a powerful and humbling reminder that everything happens for a reason. There was a reason I worked here, and there is a purpose for moving on (even if I have yet to see the entire picture). Fear gone.
Freedom from work is great. But freedom from fear is amazing.
Today was a wonderful day.
It's official - my last day at the office is October 31st, and the entire office knows. The weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and the happiness is really starting to take root.
With all the cards finally on the table, it's a good time to take stock of how my previous fears of this day have unfolded in reality:
1) Fear of coworker backlash. I work with nice people, but you never know what to expect with something like this. Everyone has been overwhelmingly supportive. Some are jealous, but all are outwardly happy for me. And I've already received several personal emails of genuine support and well wishes. My favorite was from the owner's wife, who told me that I will be missed but I will never regret doing this. I anticipate there may be a few "moments" as work responsibilities are transitioned to others, but I'm confident that in the end I have not unintentionally burned any bridges. Fear gone.
2) Fear of ruining my career. I have a good thing going, and the idea of damaging it permanently for a fun experiment was hard for me to accept. Today, HR told me that they'd have me back in a heartbeat, and I even have a two-year window where they can reinstate all seniority and vacation accrual. Basically, I have a solid career safety net if I choose to exercise it. Fear gone.
3) Fear that I've read all the signs wrong and I'm making a huge mistake. HR also made a casual comment that meant more to me than she'll ever realize. Paraphrasing: "You know, you're lucky. The company is very understanding of your decision, and in my experience I can't imagine another company being nearly as supportive. In the grand scheme of things, you truly came to the right place." I've often prayed for reassurance that I'm making the right decision, and this was a powerful and humbling reminder that everything happens for a reason. There was a reason I worked here, and there is a purpose for moving on (even if I have yet to see the entire picture). Fear gone.
Freedom from work is great. But freedom from fear is amazing.
Re: Tyler9000's Journal
Congratulations! I'm really enjoying your journal.
Re: Tyler9000's Journal
So, I will be the imprudent one who asks.... So, what are you going to do with all of that freedom (from fear)? How do you envision April 1, 2015?
Ignore if too personal.
Ignore if too personal.
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SimpleLife
- Posts: 771
- Joined: Wed Aug 21, 2013 8:23 pm
Re: Tyler9000's Journal
Congrats Tyler! Your journal is inspiring, in that I too am an Engineer and identify with my work soooo much. My gf doesn't believe I will ever be able to let go and retire. It seems you have found a way and are taking that leap. I'd be curious to see how you detach and whether you ever go back.
Re: Tyler9000's Journal
That's a good question. And tougher than you'd think to answer, although I've gotten a bit of practice today.Ego wrote:So, I will be the imprudent one who asks.... So, what are you going to do with all of that freedom (from fear)? How do you envision April 1, 2015?
Ignore if too personal.
To be honest, I have no idea. I have the beginnings of a list of things I'd like to try, but I really don't know what will stick. I know this will be an adjustment and will not always be easy.
I don't pretend to have everything figured out. I've chosen to clear the time and space to try new things but retain the right to change course whenever I please. That's why the option to return to my employer in the future is meaningful to me. I may just do that! And if I do, I won't consider it a failure. But if I ignored this opportunity and blindly clung to my comfort zone, I know I'd perpetually regret it.
Our immediate plan is to take November and December completely off. The goal is simply to decompress and enjoy the holidays. The wife and I have even discussed instituting a ban on lists, as they imply responsibility we don't want. We need to purge the system.
Come January we hope to be in a better mental state to start considering our next steps. A few personal things currently on my radar are practicing art (I used to be decent but haven't done it in years), taking some long leisurely road trips, signing up for a class or two at the community college, or maybe even a left-field part time job like bike repair.
More than anything, if I have one personal near-term goal it's to not rush into anything or make any promises.
Re: Tyler9000's Journal
pd22 wrote:That is inspirational - making the leap from the workplace to the unknown is about so much more than having the money to do it.
Thanks guys. Isn't it funny how the people most likely to reach the point where they can walk away from work often struggle with it the most? I'll share that process as much as I can, and try to be honest about it. Partly as a service, but mostly for support.SimpleLife wrote:Your journal is inspiring, in that I too am an Engineer and identify with my work soooo much. My gf doesn't believe I will ever be able to let go and retire.
Re: Tyler9000's Journal
I think it's a great idea that you'll take time off. Things will evolve and unfold naturally after that.
I hope you have fun doing stuff right smack in the middle of a weekday =).
I hope you have fun doing stuff right smack in the middle of a weekday =).
Re: Tyler9000's Journal
Congratulations!! All the best in your post-FI adventures!tyler9000 wrote:This morning, I felt a little anxious walking in. But five minutes into the regularly scheduled Monday morning project management meeting I smiled and felt reassured that I'm doing the right thing.
BTW, its time for you to think about which song you want us to listen on your day of FI
(tradition started by spoonman)Re: Tyler9000's Journal
Letting Go
Yesterday I drew a large project phase to a close by making my last major presentation, and today I officially handed off my remaining project management responsibilities to another coworker. I celebrated both by going for a long walk and bugging out early. I'm essentially unplugged and on cruise control. It's a nice feeling, especially considering how conflicted I felt several weeks ago.
The project handoff was a revealing experience. A call with the client was particularly hectic as we were talking through goals, plans, and schedules for an upcoming major international business trip. The client is clearly overwhelmed with the amount of work ahead, and the anxiety is spilling over into our office. For a moment I did my normal thing and started to whiteboard all of the issues to be sorted out, but I soon caught myself and put the marker down. I want to help, but it's no longer my problem to solve. The best thing I can do right now is to step aside and let the new guys step up.
DW's last day is Friday and mine is still another two weeks out, but from my perspective we seem more prepared every day. For the first time I can remember, my to-do list is empty and the only thing on my calendar is a happy hour. The work anxiety is still in the air around me, but I'm starting to feel strangely immune to it. I find it all very interesting. This must be what freedom feels like!
I’m sure that eventually I’ll tire of letting go and will start looking for something new to latch onto. But after practicing letting go for a day, I think I’ll enjoy it for a while. Maybe the best thing I can do right now is to let the old habits step aside so that the new interests can step up.
Yesterday I drew a large project phase to a close by making my last major presentation, and today I officially handed off my remaining project management responsibilities to another coworker. I celebrated both by going for a long walk and bugging out early. I'm essentially unplugged and on cruise control. It's a nice feeling, especially considering how conflicted I felt several weeks ago.
The project handoff was a revealing experience. A call with the client was particularly hectic as we were talking through goals, plans, and schedules for an upcoming major international business trip. The client is clearly overwhelmed with the amount of work ahead, and the anxiety is spilling over into our office. For a moment I did my normal thing and started to whiteboard all of the issues to be sorted out, but I soon caught myself and put the marker down. I want to help, but it's no longer my problem to solve. The best thing I can do right now is to step aside and let the new guys step up.
DW's last day is Friday and mine is still another two weeks out, but from my perspective we seem more prepared every day. For the first time I can remember, my to-do list is empty and the only thing on my calendar is a happy hour. The work anxiety is still in the air around me, but I'm starting to feel strangely immune to it. I find it all very interesting. This must be what freedom feels like!
I’m sure that eventually I’ll tire of letting go and will start looking for something new to latch onto. But after practicing letting go for a day, I think I’ll enjoy it for a while. Maybe the best thing I can do right now is to let the old habits step aside so that the new interests can step up.
Re: Tyler9000's Journal
LOL, very nice! Wait until you get an email from a die hard co-worker that wants to argue with you about stuff 3-4 months down the line...it'll put a smile on your face =).Tyler9000 wrote: For a moment I did my normal thing and started to whiteboard all of the issues to be sorted out, but I soon caught myself and put the marker down.
I think you have the right transition mentality, you will latch on to something else organically. No need to force the hand of fate just yet.
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Hankaroundtheworld
- Posts: 470
- Joined: Mon Feb 24, 2014 4:50 am
Re: Tyler9000's Journal
Great story Tyler9000, and I relate to many of your feelings (like the one above), especially the "sense of peace" and "quiet mind" -- once you reach a goal and you start the embrace a new chapter in your life, the mind is free to get filled with new ideas and routes in life!Tyler9000 wrote: Today, I'm much more at ease but with a positively strange sensation of stillness. I'm coming to realize that the obsessive voice in my head from the last three years finally has no more numbers to track or calculations to make. My mind is quiet. I look at our finances and feel a sense of peace -- our savings are sufficient to meet our material needs -- and simply move on to other things. Give me a little time to decompress, and that vision of other things will surely start stimulating me in new, positive ways. I imagine I may have a similar sensation when I eventually walk away from my current job for the last time.
Re: Tyler9000's Journal
The Last Sunday
A year ago today, I woke up early to catch a company car to the factory in Taipei to continue a mechanical design review for a new product. Business trips for an engineer in Asia are tedious affairs, featuring weeks of time alternating between small sterile meeting rooms and busy factory floors acting as arbiters between local engineers and colleagues back home, often with no return date set until the parts are approved. I've been on nearly 25 such trips, but this one was special.
Notably, I had a rare completely open weekend and was able to enjoy the city alone and uninterrupted by work thoughts. With all the time I've spent in China, you'd think I would have explored more, but between the factory visits all day and the Skype calls all night, there's not much time for yourself. But this weekend was truly free, and I took the opportunity to explore a bit.
At the tomb of Chiang Kai-shek, they were having a Halloween festival much like you'd expect to see in the US. Kids were dressed up playing carnival games while parents talked and took pictures, and the image of the hard working foreigner quietly observing family life far away from his own wasn't lost on me. But I took advantage of the moment and did something I had not done in years – I opened my sketchbook and just drew. Fear of having lost my touch hurt the mood for a while, but eventually I lost myself in the flow and it felt great. The sketch itself was pretty pedestrian, but the moment was profound. I rediscovered an old passion that day.
As it turns out that was my last Sunday in Asia, drawing the foreign travel phase of my working career to a close for the foreseeable future. The peace of sketching on the steps of the National Theater was a nice memory of my Eastern work adventures.
Yesterday featured the long familiar routine of church, groceries, football, and a nice home cooked meal, followed by the customary realization that work starts up again the next morning and the racing mental task list as I try to get to sleep. But rather than being sucked into the mindset and feeling disappointed, I felt a sense of detachment as I studied the moment for one last time. It was my last Sunday before a workday.
I honestly don’t think that reality has sunk in quite yet, and this Last Sunday featured no great moment of epiphany. But something about the recognition of the routine feels most appropriate right now, and I imagine it will make a lot more sense once that routine is broken in future weeks.
I can’t say I’ve created many more sketches since that day one year ago in Taipei, but dedicating time to art is on my short list of things I look forward to. Turning a new leaf, there are a lot of new First Sundays on my horizon.
A year ago today, I woke up early to catch a company car to the factory in Taipei to continue a mechanical design review for a new product. Business trips for an engineer in Asia are tedious affairs, featuring weeks of time alternating between small sterile meeting rooms and busy factory floors acting as arbiters between local engineers and colleagues back home, often with no return date set until the parts are approved. I've been on nearly 25 such trips, but this one was special.
Notably, I had a rare completely open weekend and was able to enjoy the city alone and uninterrupted by work thoughts. With all the time I've spent in China, you'd think I would have explored more, but between the factory visits all day and the Skype calls all night, there's not much time for yourself. But this weekend was truly free, and I took the opportunity to explore a bit.
At the tomb of Chiang Kai-shek, they were having a Halloween festival much like you'd expect to see in the US. Kids were dressed up playing carnival games while parents talked and took pictures, and the image of the hard working foreigner quietly observing family life far away from his own wasn't lost on me. But I took advantage of the moment and did something I had not done in years – I opened my sketchbook and just drew. Fear of having lost my touch hurt the mood for a while, but eventually I lost myself in the flow and it felt great. The sketch itself was pretty pedestrian, but the moment was profound. I rediscovered an old passion that day.
As it turns out that was my last Sunday in Asia, drawing the foreign travel phase of my working career to a close for the foreseeable future. The peace of sketching on the steps of the National Theater was a nice memory of my Eastern work adventures.
Yesterday featured the long familiar routine of church, groceries, football, and a nice home cooked meal, followed by the customary realization that work starts up again the next morning and the racing mental task list as I try to get to sleep. But rather than being sucked into the mindset and feeling disappointed, I felt a sense of detachment as I studied the moment for one last time. It was my last Sunday before a workday.
I honestly don’t think that reality has sunk in quite yet, and this Last Sunday featured no great moment of epiphany. But something about the recognition of the routine feels most appropriate right now, and I imagine it will make a lot more sense once that routine is broken in future weeks.
I can’t say I’ve created many more sketches since that day one year ago in Taipei, but dedicating time to art is on my short list of things I look forward to. Turning a new leaf, there are a lot of new First Sundays on my horizon.