This past weekend I found some time to sit out in my backyard with a book, a rum drink, and a Cuban cohiba (big thanks to a good friend for that one!). It was the most relaxing hour or two I’ve spent in months. At one point I heard a beep behind me and my brain reflexively wondered what gadget made it and what that beep meant I had to do. And then I came to my senses and realized there were no gadgets behind me, that wasn’t an electronic beep at all, it was the chirp of a bird. And then I realized how out of balance I had become.
I spend a great deal of time thinking about technology. I work in a technology field, I read endlessly about technology news and technology research. I own and use lots of gadgets. I spend time thinking about how technologies come together and what tech changes and tech trends mean for the future. I am incredibly lucky in that I can surround myself with brilliant technology thinkers at work, and I listen to what they tell me. I integrate what they say with what I read and what I think, and what I observe about the way people use technology for productivity and for fun. In short, I’m swimming in technology and while I like it (okay, I LOVE it), nobody should think “gadget” before he thinks “bird” when sitting outdoors on a beautiful early spring evening.
The lesson I take away from this is that I could use a little more balance in my life. Don’t get me wrong. I have other interests in my life. I like to go fishing, I like to cook, and I like good food and drink (a little too much). But it’s time to adjust the balance and spend a little more time playing piano and a little more time reading about non-technology topics. So as I kick off this blog, which in all likelihood will spend more time on technology than anything else, I commit to being more balanced. Maybe some of the entries will bring balance, and will be about fishing or cooking or things I learn from my wife and kids.
I vow to think “bird” the next time, and to turn quietly to admire its delicate beauty.
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