So what’s involved with starting a blog? What is the motivation behind choosing to sit and type with the hopes that someone, who has some similar interest as you do, might stumble onto your writings and take an interest in them?
I guess I’ll find out.
I’ve been a closet journalist since high school. Being nominated as the school newspaper editor my senior year, I thought that my life’s trajectory would take me somewhere into writing, or reporting, or communications, or sports journalism. But the feedback I was getting from my mom before entering college was that it would not be a career choice that would be profitable. And she was probably right.
So off to Michigan State to be an engineer I went. (I’ll save the college trek for another series of posts down the road…). 5 years later with degree in-hand and 3 summer’s worth of OTJ experience, I started working as a civil engineer. And I’ve never looked back with any ill-will: The industry has served me well, fed my family and put a roof over our heads. I can’t complain.
I’ve been working for, as of this writing, for 26 years. It is amazing how fast time passes. I date myself, not by years, but by projects. Every year had a project, and if you give me a year, I can probably tell you where I was working, and what we were doing on the job. Scary. I can’t always remember acquaintances names or what my dad’s birthday is, but I can sure as hell tell you if the pavement was concrete or asphalt….
I’ve been wanting to write. Desperately. Time is not my own, with a wife of 20 years, a senior and a freshman in high school, and a career that leaves the house at 0530 hrs everyday and ends after dark. The post-430pm window used to be hamstrung with sports-coaching or school-related spectating, something was going on seemingly everyday with our two active kids. But all of a sudden, with the kids getting older, my after-work time slot seems to be just a little emptier. It’s kind of like having a meeting get cancelled – Hey, I’ve got some free time that I didn’t expect to have. So maybe, just maybe, I could write…?
Over the course of the last few years, I’ve turned into a training junkie. I love the barbell. I love the process of getting stronger. I’ve always been in good shape, but over the last few years, it’s grown by leaps. I’ve set some goals for myself, nothing publicly declared just yet, but they are written in my Franklin Planner waiting for the right time to be published. I really love training, pushing myself to new limits, and learning to treat my body more as a machine, being conscientious of what I’m fueling with and how it is effecting both how I feel as well as how I train. And I’ve been immersing myself in Spec Ops & Navy SEAL information – What does it take to physically & mentally prepare oneself for active duty. Fascinating stuff.
So with all that said, where can my experience be shared? What do I know that is worth-while? Who would want to read it? Who would want to put my knowledge, or advice, or counsel to use? And what’s the best format to get my knowledge base out there?
I’m a podcast junkie: Everyone talks about Content. Information & content are the keys to having a successful site. How can I get my knowledge formatted in such a way that people would be able to relate to the message? Can my brief history as a teacher be brought to light through postings & writings?
I think I can. And I think I have a unique way of approaching it.
In the coming months, I’m going to take a stab at developing a blend of the two most-notable sectors of my life that I can claim a certain level of proficiency in : Coaching & Engineering. I want the posts to be educational for the masses of engineers and construction managers who are coming up in the ranks with a bent towards coaching, motivating & educating. What can a veteran share with the rookies? Can I create a locker room for civil engineers? Is it possible to develop a Navy SEAL attitude in a construction or educational environment. That is my mission – Stay tuned….
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