Post from the tarmac

The life of a knowledge warrior can be a trial. Writing from a stranded, poorly air-conditioned plane in the dead of a Philly heat-wave brings this point into focus. An appropriate question to ask at this point might be why do I do this? My answer for your consideration is this: to be in the game.

What is the game? I can't tell you precisely, but know it when I see it. The game happens out in the world, most often, in conference rooms and airport bars. Sometimes the walls are oak paneled, but usually they are whitewashed cinderblock or smudged cube fabric. It is played near our clients. It arises from meeting other players and looking them in the eye; a simultaneous testing and test taking. It looks like a challenge. It revolves around relationships. It is something you might tell your grandkids about someday.

Good news from the flight deck, we are #10 for take-off. With only 2 hours on the tarmac, I should be home by 1 am. Before I shutdown, I will leave you with this: home is comfortable, predictable, safe. I love my home. A safe haven is important and time to enjoy peace critical, but in the end the game is out HERE not in my living-room. I crave challenge, I always have. I need to be in the game to create that challenge, to deliver that validation. I am good on a good day, but how good am I with 4 hours sleep wearing a shirt sweat-stained from an early morning run to a closing gate? The game answers the question and challenges me further.

 

Maybe this sounds macho or perhaps a tad delusional—I am hot and tired, so I may regret the phrasing. Still, I know that I am not alone in my aspirations (or in my mild suffering). If you are reading this in comfort then shrug and tuck this away for later. If you are in the game or waiting for your match, take heart; what you do matters. And discomfort stretches you, makes you a better player. The road is sometimes exciting, but mostly uncomfortable. Still, they call it 'the road' so it must lead somewhere, right?