Something's brewing (part 1)

My former colleague, Tania, suggested that I read Po Bronson's book, What Should I Do With My Life (or as IBM would have us say: What should I do with my life -ahem-). I think Karl also mentioned Po Bronson's name sometime this summer, though if he did, I don't remember anything else he said about it. So on the one hand, people are always recommending that I read books, and I've kind of given up on them (books, not people). It feels like a huge commitment for one thing. For another thing, I stay pretty busy reading things on the web, the newspaper, and magazines. On the other hand, something was telling me that I should read this book.

So I ordered it. And on a quiet day, I picked it up. Even though it's taking me more than one day to read (my high-barrier criterion for weeding out books), I'm keeping at it. Bronson corresponded with 100s of people, then met tens of them in person and interviewed them. But he didn't just passively listen and record -- he added bits from his own experience, gave advice, gently tried to steer, became a friend.

He then pulled out some complex themes as an organizing point and found connecting threads in the stories. It's a fascinating read -- deeply moving at times, funny at others, and there are some wonderful observations.

One is that you can do good or bad in any job. Good point. I've been thinking that I've *felt* like I was doing good in the job I had, BUT how can you say that technical writing is doing good when there are so many struggling non-profits in the world? Well, maybe I've rationalized the good aspects to myself, but why let others' opinions of "doing good" interfere with my own perceptions?

He also leaves some stories "unfinished" -- or maybe I should say unresolved. The stories finish on all sorts of notes, which I find pretty fascinating. It's not really over til (no fat ladies here) you die. You get to interact with all sorts of things in the world and do something with it all until that moment you take your last breath. (Of course, when you're on your death bed, you're going to be interacting a little differently than you do when you're healthy and running around like a nut.)

... to be continued