Early next month I will be going on my first post-college business trip. While at UT Martin, I attended countless conferences, summits, lectures, presentations and "great reasons to use a university vehicle." The major difference between those trips and this one rests in level of involvement. We are going to a trade show in Atlanta to exhibit our latest and greatest and meet many of our customers and vendors. By contrast, all of my trips were to either to attend some sort of training or pick up a few awards.
This is a selling show, and I am more than a bit relieved that I will not have much to do with that aspect. However, our department has been busy readying all of the materials to be distributed or displayed at the event. I think I have a new found appreciation for the effort that goes into the big industry conventions and trade shows.
We are now coming up on our fifth month in the apartment, seven in Nashville. It is really amazing how fast things seem to fly by when you can concentrate your efforts toward something. Not that this really differs from the last five or six years, but a bit of routine makes all of the difference. Responsibility has been something that has come surprisingly easy. I have yet to be late to work save a few mild traffic delays. The paychecks come in, and even some of it manages to hang around for a while. There isn't nearly the soul crushing worry about finances and future that dominated much of the last couple of years.
If anything has been a struggle, it has been what to do with our free time. Volunteer organizations are appealing if we could find one without ulterior motives. Focus and users groups would be appealing if many weren't 30-40 year olds wanting to live like college students. The challenge of fitting in to society is not so much a struggle with ideology as much as one with indecision.
It is an odd case when a person is too humble to admit it. I would say I fall into this category, as I am perfectly content working behind the scenes to make great things happen. One quickly finds out in this world that those not willing to speak their mind often go self-silenced. It is probably the closest thing to a New Years resolution that I have. Not to be boisterous or to talk up my own accomplishments, but to speak up when I fully support or fully condemn an action. Everybody's opinion matters, but their ego does not.
I think a bit of this self-realization could help some of our leaders in the chambers of government across our country. I welcome the new atmosphere in Washington, even when it is people within their own party disagreeing about the best way for our nation to move forward. Some may call it bickering, I call it better than blindly going down the appointed path. Government works most efficiently when only the consensus opinion ever makes it to law. It is far more tragic when only one opinion reigns over the minority. Partisan politics are only bashed by partisans. It is still a way forward.