On Playing to your Strengths

Hi Blog,

So I'm currently taking part in a weight loss competition at my office. It's sort of a crash diet challenge, determining which employee can successfully restrict themselves from the things that make them who they are. I'm actually really good at it. My uncanny ability to make my weight fluctuate more than other people has got me thinking, which is why I'm writing this post.

My thought revolves around trying to make a career out of things that you're good at. I heard that piece of advice from someone at some point: find out what you're really good at and try to make a living doing that. So I decided to come up with a list of things that I'm really good at:

Gaining/Losing Weight - I've proven this in big ways (losing 100+ pounds in 6 months) and in not such big ways (I think I've gained 10 pounds in a weekend). I'm not sure how to make a long-term career out of this. I could either be an actor and gain/lose weight for every role (British thirty-something, fedex employee stranded on an island, etc) or I could look for competitions like the one we're having at my office right now.

Driving long distances - I think I have to thank my parents for this one. Lots of long road trips on their teacher vacations and my dad being a little stingy when it comes to springing for hotel rooms on successive nights. So, I think that means I'd make a really good truck driver, or take part in those super long road races. Unfortunately those probably require driving a stick (see blog on things I don't do well) and are only done in Europe to little fanfare.

Memorizing Mundane Facts about friends and colleagues - If there is ever a game show that requires contestants to remember things that are only impressive to the people that they are about, then I think I'd be a big winner.

After careful review, I've determined that I can't really make a career out of the things that I'm really good at. If anyone can think of careers that match my skills, please let me know. Until then, I'll just keep showing up for work.

The Secret World of Airport Employees

My Sweetest Blog,

It has been far too long since we have talked. That's probably my fault. Anyway, I have lots to tell the world. First, I've been spending more time at airports. Not just for the hell of it, but because I've been traveling (work, wedding season, etc). Anyway, I've decided that Airport Employees (security people, food service employees, etc) and Airlines Employees (pilots, gate agents) have their own little universe. I sort of think that the life of an airlines/airport employee is what life would be like if we became a communist or police state. There are lots of steps toward supposed efficiency without much in the way of results. Whether it is the scheduled mass transportation (little parking shuttle), the line ropes to keep things moving in, the non-stop requests for documentation, or the overall uncomfortable feeling that all visitors (travelers) always feel. There are also other parallels, including the limited food options. It's sort of like the USSR. Correction, it's sort of like my western perception of the former USSR. People wait in long lines and then pay high prices for limited options.

One more thing about airports...has anyone ever made a cell phone call at an airport without telling the person on the other end of the phone that they were at the airport? I'm not really sure what that's all about. My guess is that people are still hanging on to the old days when air travel was something that people looked forward to, and was considered a luxury good. Gone are the days when middle-aged women wear their fur coats to take the pan am flight across the country, but I guess there is still some glamour in air travel. At least when you're talking to someone who isn't at the airport. Perhaps they forget that you're really just a guest in a communist mini country.