Tag: life

Yesterday was the Longest Night

Carl Setzer5 Comments
photo of city under cloudy sky

Some random stats as I think about the apex of our night-life for my community just north of Seattle. Your mileage may vary.

  • Sunrise was at 7:55am
  • Sunset at 4:18 pm
  • Therefore we had 8.38 hours of sunlight
    • That’s 35% of the day with daylight
    • And, therefore 65% of the day was night
    • 15.62 hours of darkness!

Fortunately, slowly, slowly, the days will start lengthening. And another year begins.

A Momentary Pause

Carl Setzer

feasting on sunlight
brief bits of joyful color
momentary pause 

A few days ago I was walking along the nearby waterfront. This burst of color captured my attention, both at the moment and then yesterday, which I spent resting, recovering from my second dose of Moderna. I got a fair amount done in spite of my day of rest, but I didn’t get a haiku posted.

An update on education

Carl Setzer

This is from one of my assignments this week, and it seemed like a great blog post. So, enjoy!

  • What was the most pressing issue(s) you had to deal with during this course?
    • My biggest challenge this quarter was time. All my courses took more time than my past ones. With that, I had a few side-projects that were more time-intensive than I was anticipating. I often was submitting assignments right on the edge of their being due. This, not something I like! I value proactivity and being solidly ahead, exceeding deadlines. With that, I like to have time for an in-depth review of my readings afterward. That was not easy to make happen.
  • How did you overcome it or remedy the issue(s)?
    • I dealt with this mainly by being more thoughtful. I made it a point to slow down as I read and take better notes at that point. I recognized that I might not have the time to re-read every chapter, but I could take the time to review my notes. So it was critical for those notes to be valuable. I also leaned heavily on things like Quizlet, a flashcard app, which I have on my phone and iPad, and I use this on my PC as well. That enabled me to review things at more random moments. A quick flip through flashcards while waiting at the doctor’s office, dentist’s office, bank, etc. In this time of Covid, I have spent a fair amount of time waiting in lines. Being able to squeeze every bit out of my days has been vital.

A Walk Along The Waterfront

Carl Setzer

through fading sunlight

walk along the waterfront

filled with memories

Most of my life orbited the Edmonds waterfront, just north of Seattle. My grandparents lived here. So many memories of walking with my grandfather here, sometimes riding the ferry. He loved talking with everyone, hearing their stories. His gift of listening appreciated.

A Few Thoughts On This Christmas Day

Carl Setzer
Christmas Tree

After a lovely day with my family where I got to feel joy and contentment, remembering happy moments at various times in my life, I received a reminder that not everyone reflects on their childhood with happiness. Surviving Childhood Trauma is a blog that, well, it’s title sums it nicely. And today’s post, Trauma & the Holidays serves as a reminder that not everyone’s memories are laden with love and joy. We need to honor our friends and neighbors who find the holidays to be times of horror, anguish, and pain. And, especially after the year that 2020 has been, many people are struggling with loss, sadness, despair, and loneliness. Those feelings should be honored, too. Such are the elements of grace.

May we all find peace, grace, and well-being this season. And here’s to a 2021 with less misery and more connection.

Featured Image by Olenka Sergienko from Pexels

Some reflections on “What CEOs Really Think About Remote Work” in the Wall Street Journal

Carl Setzer
Photo by Marc Mueller from Pexels

Here are some reflections on “What CEOs Really Think About Remote Work” in the Wall Street Journal.

When I saw the headline, my first response was cynicism. It’s easy to label many “leaders” as simple tyrannical micromanagers, unable to release even a little control, no matter how helpful it would be for productivity.  And that’s, as this is the Wall Street Journal, mostly what I expected to see. However, I was pleasantly surprised. What I actually read was a nice blend of viewpoints. This article is a collection of quotes. Just one or two sentences each looking at what these execs have observed, and where they think office culture will be shifting to. Quite a spectrum of thought, really. I came away pondering a couple of notions.

First, direct human interaction holds great value. We gain by working collaboratively. The “rugged individual” is a destructive myth. Yet, as I’ve seen myself the past few months, there’s value in working in isolation, in minimal distraction. We exist in continuums, each of us unique in our blend of traits.

When looking at the wide array of thoughts, it’s helpful to remember we’re all different. “Working From Home” is wonderful for me: I’m an introvert. The quiet of my home office is invigorating. Extroverts are living in hell.

A healthy working life and corporate culture accounts for the full spectrum of human experience. Finding ways to individualize working environments should be part of an effective future work life.