Walking Toward the Mountain

My mother in-law sent my wife and I a link to this video yesterday (see below).  Thank heaven for mother-in-laws.  Some of the best things I've read or seen come from her.

So I've watched this twice (which is no small matter since it's nearly 20 minutes long and--as Paul Simon says--"I've got short little span of attention...why's my life so long?")  But I've watched it twice now, and I've spent a good bit of time journaling about it this morning.  I think I may spend the next few days extrapolating and exploring the ideas Neil talks about, but for now I want to focus on "walking toward the mountain".  Career paths are fickle things.  I found it refreshing that he prefers to call his professional life 'a ride' rather than a career path, because "a career path would indicate some sort of plan."

Old Rag Mountain - One of my favorite hikes.

I remember talking with a friend who was the son of a very wealthy businessman.  The father specialized in turning around troubled companies.  His advice to his son as he graduated from college was "It's all about career path, career path, career path."  That has haunted me ever since.  Why?  Because I've never had a career path.  Like Neil, I've always followed the notion of do whatever feels like an adventure, and when it stops being an adventure and starts to feel like work, stop doing it.  [Sorry all potential job interviewers, I'm just putting it out there.]

So I'll stop there, because I could go on...and probably will in the near future.  But for now, I leave you with the May 2012 commencement speech from Neil Gaiman to the University of the Arts.

Please comment.  I'd love to know what you think.  Thanks for reading.