Tag: time

Read: Faster – The Acceleration of Just About Everything

Faster
James Gleick; Random House Audio 1999

 

I have to recommend this book for the purpose of it’s current ability to cause reflection on the 15 years since it was written. The exact causes cited in the book are woefully outdated and don’t capture the revolutions that have happened since the year 2000.

What is relevant about the content is recognition about how correct the assumptions were as laid out in the book. Everything really is getting faster. My first favorite portion of this book is the enchanting description of Time in the very beginning. I have never felt such a deep understanding of Time before.

My second favorite portion of the book consists of the journey through what does 24 hours really look like and where does the time really go. Outdated as the book is, I found it very easy to examine the statistics the author uses to describe the hours of the day, and easily adjust for all the modern wonders and how much faster our lives are today.

I couldn’t imagine taking the time to read this book as the only thing I do, perhaps it was only appropriate that I listened to this while drinking my coffee on my way to work over the course of a few weeks.

More important than anything else

When I started this blog, at least the original one back in 2000 whatever, it had very little to do with anything other than a place to digitally journal.  I’ve been well aware that I don’t write here as often as I do in my physical journal.  I’m equally well aware that I don’t have the most read blog, or that I don’t put much work into this.  I try to have a sense of humor about it.

Someone has entered my life who is much more important than this blog, and more important than almost anything else that has come before him.  My son has been born.  He’s a cute little guy.

A few weeks ago I had encountered the world of baby-centric tech, along with the predecessor pregnant-mom tech.  I thought these would be a good topic to research and learn more about.  I’ve realized that I’ll have plenty of opportunity to find out about this stuff on the way.  I’ve also realized how unimportant this is.

I’ve realized how unimportant my intentions for sorting my random collection (see messy stack) of maps for the revolutionary war battlegrounds are.  My fascination with FTPing files in the middle of the night is becoming far less important (except backups, always remember to backup!).  That random novel someone gave me months ago because I saw it on their shelf and they didn’t want it:  unimportant.

It’s not that my interests, or intentions for my career, or family have become less valid.  There simply are new priorities in my life.  I see most projects and tasks that weren’t really a priority before, losing ground very rapidly.

I am pursuing the same goals as I was before I had a kid, but I’ve gained a special insight into knowing when one of my projects is a complete waste of time, and when I should cut my losses.

What’s interesting is I feel this is going to give me a renewed joy and depth of interaction with the projects I do really enjoy, but don’t spend enough time on.  Like this blog.  Like calling my family, and long time friends.

Whatever projects I continue, or new goals I find for myself, they will all be viewed through a new daddy-sized lens.