Complex Numbers

Don't Look Back

Middle of January. The time for looking back at 2006 is long gone, and most of us have broken the majority of our silly New Year's resolutions by now. Heck, it might even be safe for me to go to the gym again, soon.

So much of what we are is purchased at the expense of experience, often painful, always necessary.

I've always heard it's not good to dwell on these experiences. But how do we do better in the future if we don't learn from the experiences of the past?

I had to put my resume together today for the first time in nearly 20 years - not because I'm looking for a job, but because a potential client wanted resumes of key staff for a project we might be selected for.

I just haven't bothered. Why should I? After getting the job I got in 1989, I was promoted internally until I got as far as I thought I could get, then got another job through a colleague who knew more about my work experience than I did myself. Then I quit to start another company, and we were self-financed; I didn't need to convince any investors that I was qualified (I did have to convince clients, but successful track records count for more than words on paper).

Anyway, I put the resume together, and it was kinda boring. Very narrow. My focus has been on land development, period, end of discussion, end of story. I never wanted to specialize like that. By nature, I'm a generalist, learning everything I can about everything I can.

Back in high school, they asked me where I saw myself in 10 years. "Spacecraft engineer," I said. Scotty was my hero.

Well angel, won't you believe in love for me
C'mon and meet me tonight, darling, out in the street
We'll move with the city in the dark
You got to walk it, talk it, in your heart
There's nothin' to lose it's a heartache
The deck's stacked
So put your foot to the floor, darling
Tonight we'll blow off the doors, baby
We're gonna even the score
And honey we won't look back

-Bruce Springsteen

"Don't Look Back"

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