...Blogging

My job is one of the few, in my field, where we are allowed to interview and board candidates.  This is in stark contrast to almost every other unit in the Department of Defense who gets what they get…the good and the bad. The thought process is that in our business, relationships are everything; relationships enable a successful mission; and the mission is second to none.  And not in a cheesy, cliche "mission first..." kind of way, but in a no-shit Battle of Britain "never have so many..." kind of way.  We need the freedom to choose someone who “fits” the organization and who can work within our structure to continue to build the capabilities that we require (wow - sorry, just slipped in to work mode there for a second.  I digress...)

One question I always ask on an interview board is “if you could choose any job in the world...money was no issue…what would it be?”  I ask this question because I want to get a sense of what the candidate’s interests truly are.  I don’t care if they answer “I would be a dog walker” or “I would be a research scientist” or “I would be a professional video game player”…I just want to know what they are interested in and what they’re passionate about.  Because dog walking, scientific researching, and a video game playing are all passions.  Sometimes I get valid answers, like the guy who smiled when he answered “I would open my own bike shop and repair road bikes all day”.  Sometimes I get bullshit answers, like the girl who said “I would work in supply chain management” (uh…maybe you’re not understanding the full extent of my question here.  Lets try this again…)

I’ve asked this question in one form or another for years.  First dates.  Long road trips.  Late nights in undisclosed countries.  If money was no issue, what would you do.  For years I’ve gotten some great answers and I’ve personally always had the same response.  I would be a free-lance photojournalist.  I would travel and I would write.  I would see amazing things around the world, take pictures of real life and real situaions, and explain it to the world in a prose that would resemble the love child of Jack Handy, Jon Stewart, and Anderson Cooper.  With a little bit of Ernest Hemingway thrown in for fun.

But unfortunately for me (and for everyone I’ve asked this question to…) money is an issue.  Not an “issue” in that I’m living below the poverty line (far from it).  I don’t obsess about finances and I could rarely tell you how much is in my checking account at any given time, but the important point is its in there.  Its like magic…or that boy friend you can never get rid of…the money just keeps coming back.  In a rare bit of self-awareness, I've realized my lifestyle could not be supported by free-lance photo journalizing for very long.  Probably two weeks.  When suddenly the numbers on the ATM receipt didn’t magically increase I would be having a very frank discussion with myself.  I personally like being able to fly off to Colorado to go snowboarding.  Or throw down a couple Ben Franklin’s to go skydiving all weekend.  Or never have to worry about drinking Ernest and Gallo.  Money is an issue.

So whats my point here?  My point is, there I was, half-way through a three bottle night with a friend when I asked her The Question.  I’m a horrible person and don’t remember her answer.  But when I spat out my standard response she simply said “okay, so why don’t you?”  Uh…?  I had a litany of reasons…Responsibility.  Common Sense.  Fear.  You name it I quoted it as why I couldn’t do this.  Deb gave me a “you’re a dummass” look and said “you don’t have to quit your job to do that (she so wanted to say dummass here) look at where you've travelled, just start writing about it”.  Wow.  This girl is brilliant.

So here it is.  My solution to the age old question “what would you do if money was no issue”.  I can't drop what I’m doing and become a free-lance photojournalist (Reason #1:  Uncle Sam) so I’m starting a blog.  While drinking wine.  Because that’s what I do.