Introduction

Hello,

I've been on the internet for more than a decade but this is my first foray into the blogosphere, at least as a writer. I have thought about it for a few years but was especially inspired today while doing some reading about one of my personal literary heroes - Douglas Adams. While perusing douglasadams.com I noticed a question. It said "How should prospective writers go about becoming an author?" Part of Adams' answer said "...You had better really, really, really want to do it. Next you have to write something. " That's when it hit me. I have to write if I'm ever going to be a writer.

Finding the time and discipline needed to work on this craft has been my bugabear for many years now. I have an unfinished novel on my PC. It's been there for about 7 years. Most of the plot is in my head. As Mozart said in Amadeus "The rest is just scribbling." Or in my case, typing. But there always seem to be a hundred other things I need to do. Like starting a blog.

Finishing the novel has become like a New Year's resolution to me. Something I always MEAN to do but never quite get around to actually doing. I'm hoping that starting this blog will help me develop some of that discipline, as well as reminding me several times a week why I love to write.

I was further inspired to write today by something that happened in a meeting at work today. We were discussing team development and team building, etc. I work in state government now, after spending about 12 years in small entrepreneurial technology companies. I love my work as a software tester/data quality analyst, but I often have too much time on my hands. I'm lucky to work in the IT department where I don't have to curb my enthusiasm for all things geeky.

But I digress. We were discussing "team building" and different experiences we had had with it in our varied former employment. I couldn't help wondering what my 85 year old grandfather would say about the whole concept. The man who proclaimed often that his work philosophy was "I figure these SOBs have got me until 4:00 and then my time is my own" but who also speaks with pride of his time as an inspector for the US Air Force and the Postal Service, where he worked hard to ensure that US taxpayers were getting as much for their money as the contracts indicated they should. Apparently this attitude didn't always go down well with the contractors.

"Team building. Huh." I can almost hear his voice. "What the hell is that? We didn't build no teams. We just came in, did our work and went home." My own boss - who I think is awesome - referred to it as "that touchy-feely" stuff. I must confess I feel the same. Sometimes I think we are becoming a nation of wimps. Yeah, work should be fun. You spend too much time there for it to be awful. We are professionals and if we get along well together, life at work can be great. But I can't help wondering, as a citizen and a taxpayer, how much government money is being spent on the flavor of the month management techniques, seminars, programs, etc. Can't we all just be grownups and do our work and treat each other decently? Is bungee jumping as a team really required? I hope not, because I don't do heights.

Well I've rambled on long enough for my first try. Thanks for reading.