Explaining a Nontraditional Career to Loved Ones

The way people work is quickly evolving in the age of the internet of everything. No longer are individuals tied to hierarchical corporations and subjected to the laws of the ladder. While this new reality can be exciting and full of opportunity it also presents challenges for loved ones who are closest to the newly independent nontraditional careerists. 

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Falling Flat

Failing is hard. Writing about failures has its difficulties, as well.

Most people do their best to put on the adornments of perfection. Not to say all people have their noses up in the air, but generally the public face is the one of "the best foot forward." Who wants to let their friends and colleagues down? Who wants to drop the hopes and aspirations of their family? No one who values their relationships at least as much as they value themselves.

This week, I can't help but feel like I let many people down. I was being recruited for what felt like a perfectly suited position for myself. The opportunity promised to lead to a worthwhile career at a company that is passionate about their clients and their staff. It's seemed to be the kind of place I've wanted to be a part of for a very long time.

After completing 75% of the interview process I fell flat on my face. There's no excuse for myself. I should have been able to ace the whiteboard session. I should have been more relaxed during the interview. It's easy to think back and say I should have been a lot of things. But surely, after a week of dedicated study for this interview alone I should have been able. 

In my lifetime, experience has often been the best teacher. In this scenario there's little difference. Experience again will teach me best practices and be my guide in similar situations encountered in the future. In the meantime, I've let my support team down. Welcome to being human. It's hard, dirty and painful, but we do the best can with tools at our disposal and work every day to do better.

Jasmine and Pollination

Yesterday was a glorious day. A storm rolled in the night before and another was on its way. Our land was covered in a deep peaceful calm. The largest pine tree in the backyard was pollinating yesterday. I showed King the tender buds that were opening when a light yellow powder poured from the branches. I explained the dusting going on above his head, but King was more apt to hide under the tree's branches. My fingers were covered in pollen and it was straight to the tub for the boys as soon as we entered the house. 

If I hadn't already determined to do so my Mrs. surely would have put such an objective upon my mind. She was not pleased at all with our shoes or dirt- and pollen-covered hands. 

The second storm rolled in quietly as promised and hung about the vicinity well into the afternoon. After being stuck inside all day today I know the King will be ready to pull me back into the woods and run around his favorite tree, tomorrow.

 

In other news I am now only one final and one project away from earning my front-end web development nanodegree with Udacity.com! I am very excited at the latest progress. After several changes in comments, indentation and a few weeks in the code I am now finished with the test-driven programming of Jasmine JS. Well, finished as in with this project. I am certain a great amount of Jasmine JS awaits my future.