family – Tech in the Trenches

On Thanksgiving, I commend you

On November 23, 2023

For all of you who have to go to Thanksgiving day, I commend you.

For all of you who have to deal with family who don’t raise you up and celebrate you for who you are and what you’ve done, I commend you.

For all of you who wake up in the morning filled with dread, whether you’re getting into a car getting on a plane or simply opening your bedroom door and traversing the stairs into the din of Thanksgiving preparation, I commend you.

For those of you that today is the day of morning and loss for the family used to have, I commend you.

For those of you who are filled with excitement and jubilation at seeing the family, you have either by birth, or by choice, I command you.

For those of you who are waking up today and it’s a Thursday, I commend you.

Work. Family. Scene. Pick Two.

By Carl

On November 15, 2021

In Links and Quotes

Work, family, scene. Pick two.

Work—that is your creative output.
Family—that’s a spouse, kids, or any close personal relationships.
Scene—that’s the fun stuff that comes along with success. Parties. Fancy dinners. Important friends. This is the stuff that looks good on Instagram, that you can brag about, that falls into your lap like a wonderful surprise. Offers, invitations, perks.
Work, Family, Scene: You Can Only Pick Two – Ryan Holiday

I love this advice from Austin Klein, via Ryan Holiday. You can’t have it all. You burnout. You’re miserable. You’re robbing someone of time or attention or love or presence.

The two you pick can change as your life does. Your balance may shift from work to family or scene to work. As they all feed each other.

Picking two is important as remembering you can switch the two at any time. It’s not a lifelong choice.

I’ve always found family and work (as its meant here) to be the most rewarding. Sure the scene can be fun. But that’s the part I most readily give up. That’s what works for you. You follow your path and find what works for you.

Father’s Day

By Carl

On June 17, 2019

In Introspection

Father, at work

This is one of my favorite photos I’ve taken of my father. It was taken through the window of his office as he worked up a spreadsheet. Which is as close to his natural state as I can get without a hammock and a Sherlock Holmes novel.

We spent the day together at the farm sitting on the front porch talking and sipping lemonade with a light breeze coming in off the rock outcroppings. It was as near as perfect a day as I can recall.

We took a 2 mile walk in the park and saw a beautiful blue bird. We had Vicki’s casserole for dinner with a salad and strawberry shortcake for dessert.

It was a happy father’s day.

Carl T. Holscher fights for the customers.

Tag: family

On Thanksgiving, I commend you

Work. Family. Scene. Pick Two.

Father’s Day