Things I Think About #011

Hello, dear readers. As a descendent of free people, it goes against my very existence to sell myself. But since I failed to escape the inevitablity of the 9-5 grind: here I am, I find myself punching away at the keyboard, mentally urging you, our devoted readers, to dive into this issue.

My mission in this life ultimately, like a great many of us, is to end up with a professional role that will allow me to pay my rent (assuming I saved a third of my previous paycheck).

Truth be told, I hate working. I strongly believe it's unnatural. Would you spend your prime years trekking back and forth to a job if all your needs and wants in life were met? I honestly can't imagine you would. Unless all your workmates or colleagues are as entertaining as I am. Which in that case, means I may not be so special after all?

Attempting to appeal to logic, you should know, I wouldn't take it upon myself to be the editor of this magazine if I didn't feel competent enough to do it...

Before the pandemic hit and the realization that we are a society in decline came crashing down, I worked as a freelance visual artist and computer programmer. I still kind of do now since people have decided that my HTML/CSS and Photoshop skills are worth putting up with my eccentric, anti-social persona, which I am now realizing is a hell of a compliment to my work.

Beyond crafting vivid articles, I wield a vast knowledge of analytics, SEO, metrics, and all that editorial yadayadayada that I learned freelancing for all the companies that gave me a shot as I trudged (is that a word?) through the infant years of my career and truly only ever stressed about getting ad space for their mundane products than appreciating the diverse stories and flavors we could actually bring to you. Whatever work-related practice I may still not know, best believe I clandestinely Google when no one is looking and emerge a master of. 

Last week I took apart my computer for a regular spring clean and TLC. When I finally put it back together I realized I was missing a screw crucial for holding the back panel together. Despite turning the place upside down searching for it, I couldn't find it anywhere. 

Frustrated, I shrugged it off, convincing myself it wasn't crucial and finished the reassembly. For some reason I couldn’t comprehend at the time, the computer ran flawlessly, without a single glitch. It operated just fine without that seemingly indispensible screw.

A week later today and guess what I just found out of the blue... Laying right there in its designated spot where it should have been all along... The screw.

This incident reminded me how sometimes we get stuck fixating on the smallest details, convinced that they are indispensable for success.... It's a reminder that progress and completion often don't hinge on the tiniest elements we obsess over, and if we persist and keep moving forward, things have a way of working out in the end.

In my occasional moments of reflection, I'm reminded of the profound impact we can have on others, even when we have absolutely no idea.

Someone, somewhere, might be looking up to me, drawing inspiration or encouragement from my endeavors. Knowing that even one person might find value in what I do, regardless of my uncertainties or dissatisfaction with my creations, serves as a compelling reason to persist. It's a reminder that my efforts could ignite a spark in someone else's journey, and that alone makes every endeavor worth pursuing.