Peek-a-boo
In this post, I’m about to use a word that I’ve never used before, but have always wanted to: autodidact, so look for it. 
The other day I was at, where else, The Peaceful Dragon. And, usual, the following folks were there: Robert, Carrie, Chad, and Jesse. These folks basically live there. I think that Sifu may need to start charging rent! Each time that I get there, I see at least 2 of them outside running, carrying heavy stuff, flipping this big ass tractor tire, or working out. Currently, they are training for a tournament in Baltimore, this weekend I believe.
I look at them and seriously admiring them for the commitment, sometimes thinking: How can I be committed like they are? One day, Robert said to me: Man, Paul! You are melting away. Every time that I see you, you look smaller. Of course, I smiled at this and he asked what was doing. I told him about the 20 – 25 miles of walking per week, the changes in the food, changes in habit; he knows how often I’m there, etc. In reading the book, Living An Extraordinary Life, by Robert White, he talks about commitment. He says that your results show where your commitment lies, regardless of what your words say. Sometimes, I doubt my commitment in certain things, or my ability to be committed to something. However, when I look at the results in various things, I have to cut myself some slack.
For the most part, I am an autodidact (there it is!). I’m self-taught in a number of things. School doesn’t seem to move at the right pace for some things. I’d rather experience them than to read a book. Things that were self-taught and I have been committed at:
1. When I got my first computer, a TRS-80, I learned BASIC, then when that was not enough went on to teach myself Assembler. This helped a great deal when I had an Assembler class in college. I breezed through it. I spent countless hours learning assembler.
2. When I picked up my first camera … well, you know the rest. That was 31 years ago.
3. When I wanted to become a professional bowler, I used to bowl well over 100 games/week. I did this for several years. Soaking all of my part-time money into bowling and gas. Great results, but not quite a professional.
4. When I learned C++, I would get up at 2:00 AM and study/practice until it was time to go to work. In short order, I became one of the best around the workplace. I shunned television and spent all of my time learning more about C++
5. This blog. Though I’ve slowed down posting of late, I have been going for 4 years. Amazing.
6. For the past 6 weeks, Hobbs and have been walking, 6 days/week, at least 1 hour, 15 minutes/day. I let nothing get in the way … not even work.
7. Save for today, I’ve not missed a single class at TPD! I will make up this class this week, so it will still count as 3 classes/week.
These things are examples, to myself, of my commitment to various things and show me what is possible.
I’m sure that you have many of your own.
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6 Responses to “Commitment”
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First of all this is a great image. And, second, wow there is a lot of change going on in your life. This has been progressing for quite some time, at least a year. You are definitely in a transition of seasons in your life. It’s exciting to read and follow along.
My engineering career was along the same line as you. I took classes in a junior college then hired on as a technician. After a few months I tested within the company and moved up the ladder with hard work, going the extra mile. I never finished my bachelor degree.
And thanks to you, I now know another word but I did not learn it by my self.
Well, one could say that the past 2 years have been ‘dynamic’! That’s for sure!
I didn’t finish my bachelor degree, either. I got 2 associates and a whole lot of learning at Border’s and Barnes & Nobel. As for those transitions, I don’t know if I’d use the word exciting … taxing, yes, but, exciting, I suppose.
Okay, exciting wasn’t the best word to use.
Seth Godin suggest trial and error is a valid way to learn. And, most artists tell you to practice, practice and more practice. And, the word “dynamic” does work.
Remember when you wrote the first line of code that caused something to appear on your TRS80 monitor? It was like watching the first image come up in the developer tray, right? HOOOOOOOKED! The rush was drug-like! Yeah… needed another fix fast didn’t you? And the magical pull on your curiosity was tractor-beam-like. Remember Ray Bradbury’s haunting line, “A sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from witchcraft”? As right as Bradbury was… maybe…. maybe… you could substitute another word for “witchcraft” maybe, “seduction”?
It tugs you to learn more and more and….
You are right, Ted. Hooked is the perfect word for it. I still remember seeing those images come up in the developer. I still get that same feeling from developing a roll of film. There’s an almost palpable excitement before opening the top. It’s difficult to wait for the rinse to finish. I want to see!
I second the comments about the image, it’s beautiful!
Without change we are nothing but spectators. Change encourages us to participate and to grow, often in directions we wouldn’t expect had we not tried them.