The fine folks at Apple had me update the software on my Mac today so in addition to learning about all of the new capabilities on my latest iPhone I am scrolling through the tips on the Mac.
I figure if I am going to use a tool I ought to know a little bit about what it does and what it can do so that I can determine how to make it best fit my needs.
Got me thinking about a conversation I had with a former colleague of mine who said he wanted a phone that did nothing more than make telephone calls.
I teased him about being a Luddite and asked if he would have used the torch in a cave for just one purpose.
“It is not like you can sit on burning log Josh.”
“Probably not comfortable but you could use it to scare away wild animals, other people and or cook a meal.”
Can’t remember exactly what came after that but I do remember teasing him about having been married three times.
“Some people speed date and others speed marry.”
He had a chunk of years on me and went through how long each one lasted. I understand it better at this age because in concept I could have put in a decade or more with different people.
That is not something you think about in your early thirties, ten years is about a third of your life so…
An Epic Mongolian Voice
I pulled that subhead from the description of the video above which listed Uyanga Bold as the singer. I looked up her website and discovered she changed her name to Inana Bold.
She has been a part of a variety of movies, video game soundtracks, the Boston ballet and all sorts of other stuff.
Sometimes I enjoy finding artists like Inana where I can play their music in the background and zone out or work on different projects.
I find it particularly interesting to come across people who may not use words but still use their voice to communicate.
That is the point of music isn’t it, to communicate, to make us feel and think. It is like so many other art forms, something that can be viewed in very simple terms and something that can be exceptionally complex.
Some pieces touch you in places and in ways that are unexpected and you are taken on a journey. That is the kind of experience you might not plan for but can be pleased you had the opportunity to take it.
I’ll Figure It Out
I remember a moment when the work colleague I mentioned above asked me what I would do if I was dating and found a woman who I thought could be a real partner.
“I’d say something and if she didn’t have the good sense to take the time to figure out what I have to offer that would be a her issue and not a me issue.”
He snorted and said that sounded obnoxious and I nodded my head.
“It didn’t require a well thought out explanation provided in gentle and soft terms. It is a hypothetical so I got right to the point.”
He pressed me on it so I gave him my standard answer of “I’ll figure it out.”
That is a response that has garnered some guffaws and push back from people who wanted specific details but you don’t always have those. You can’t be prepared for every situation that might happen but you can be prepared to figure it out as you go.
There are people who know me who have heard me turn it around on them. They have asked questions that I thought had obvious answers had they taken the time to consider it.
So when they asked particular questions I turned it around and asked what they would do if they had to figure it out.
It is not typically done to be snarky, obnoxious or sound condescending. Sometimes we’re so focused on one aspect of a situation we forget to turn our head left or right.
We forget to see if we can turn the light on or if the door is unlocked. We forget to reboot.
And sometimes my response saves me from having to do work for someone else repeatedly because they recognize if they haven’t come up with a suggestion or plan I am going to push back.
My son says I am a master of that kind of thing, but I don’t know if that is true.
Came across an article today that says Gen-X is in a retirement crisis and nodded at parts as I read along. I have a chunk of years before I can retire or so I expect.
If you asked me to tell you how long I think it is going to be or if I can shorten that time I very well might answer that I’ll figure it out because that is the plan.
Not the whole plan, but part of it and that is enough for this particular blog post, there are boundaries.
Play Bob and fade to black.
