Comfort Zone

I just finished piano practice. I knew I was learning something because I attained the odd feeling where my mind is fully occupied and struggling with the task at hand. It's not thinking of anything else, not worrying about bills, work, house stuff -- it's just focused on the immediate decoding of notes, adjusting for accidentals, and timing hand shifts. Time passes beforeI slip back into the normal state of things. My mind begins processing multiple things at once again, and yet I feel refreshed, in much the same way after a session in the gym, when the feeling of rest after work is delicious.

It's one of those odd moments you remember, that has a deeper impact on you then other events, and for me it was one of my guitar teachers said "You're only learning when you struggle", and I've come to believe that's true in all aspects of life. When too much time has passed with me in my comfort zone, I look back at that time and it seems somewhat wasted. If I look back at a period of struggle followed by triumph, whatever that small victory might be, it makes me feel not only happy, but a little more at peace with myself.

Guest Writer

A little philosophy on children.

Smart Ass

When I was an intern at a small software consulting business, my boss gave me a tutorial on how he wanted me to write code. The only thing that I remember, because it was so impressive, was how he edited source files. He knew every keyboard shortcut, rarely touched the mouse, and created ad hoc macros for tricky edits with regularity. In other words, he edited source code faster then anyone I knew, and he wasn't showing off, it was just the way he did it, day in and day out. I realized how wasteful I had been, relying on just a few commands to do everything when there were so many other tools that were faster and more powerful.

Today, I had deja-vu during a group meeting as we discussed the different tools we used. It struck me that people in the group are unaware that they could be more effective, much as I was before I saw my old boss do work. Unfortunately, I don't think I can convince them of it.

Piano

I can play my first piece that requires a changing of hand positions. It's quite a jaunty piece -- I asked my wife what she thought the name was and she answered "Happy Balloon" but it is actually called "Popcorn".

I love first grade music lessons.

Control

How do you guide a group of people yet still give them enough independence that they feel in control? I think it depends on both the leader and the people in the group. The leader has to clearly set the goal and the boundaries. The most difficult responsibility of the leader is to keep the group motivated.

In my group the leaders are terrible at setting goals. The goals are often vague or unattainable sometimes conflict with one anothers. This immediately creates an environment of failure. The boundaries are never defined, other then the "completion dates". People are confused over what their role in the group is, and what their individual responsibilities are.

The greatest problem in my group is the lack of motivation. Frankly, our leaders aren't inspiring. The often seem flustered with making decisions and watching them struggle with even basic managerial issues doesn't lend confidence in their abilities.

Yosemite

I went with my in-laws to Yosemite. Since they're older and not so spry, we did what I call the "standard" Yosemite package, which I had never done before. It involves riding in the tram car around the valley with a guide cooing about waterfalls and Yosemite's unique legacy. It involves buying shirts in the gift shop and eating hamburgers at the picnic tables. It involves large amounts of driving (Glacier Point / Mariposa Grove). I didn't think I would like it but it was fun in its own way.

When we were all on a shuttle bus, discussing the fact that the average time of stay in Yosemite is two hours for a visitor, the bus driver overhead us and said "Can you believe that?". My mother in law responded that she really liked being in Yosemite, and that we had just taken the tram tour. The bus driver haughtily replied "That's all most people do", obviously disapproving of our choice.

I notice so many people who, once they are familiar or accomplished at something, look down at others who are different or not as experienced. I've seen it in crew, backpacking, weight lifting, and so many other things. I'm vowing to myself that I'll never become that way, at least not seriously.