Choice

Yesterday at the beach I watched three kids play a game. The object was to hit the other two with a clump of wet sand (mud ball) without getting hit yourself. Whoever was hit the least at the end of the "round" won.

The game was made complicated by the number of participants, three. If it was simply one-on-one you could focus on the other person, but the extra player added an element. As you were tossing a mud ball at one the other could be throwing one at you, while you were looking in another direction.

This is just like life. You have players (some 6 billion and counting), each doing their best to win a game. Most, maybe all, are not specifically trying to hurt someone (OK, there's a possibility an eye may be hit, but if a player tried to hit someone in the eye they'd probably lose since that's counterproductive).

You also have choices to make at each turn, and strategy. Do I split my mud ball in two and try to hit both the other players? Do I focus on just one of the others? Do I simply try to avoid all incoming 'missiles'?

Life is a game! Play ball!!!

(and, GO YANKEES!!!)

Improvement

Today was a day of improvement, from the small (a new set of grilling tools for the summer barbecue season) to the large (discussing career direction with a running buddy). Let's start with the small....

Isn't it amazing how something seemingly little can make a big change in your life? In this new grilling tool set is a two-way brush with a handle on each side. I can envision how this will make grill cleanup a lot easier and can't wait to use it. I also look forward to the new 'fish spatula', a spatula designed to make flipping fish easier. Little things do mean a lot!

The large improvement was the satisfaction I felt in my career discussion with the friend. He's on the verge of embarking on a career move, and knows that I am in the midst of one (if you know of any organizations that need an accomplished Java Lead/Architect let me know). Not only was I hopefully able to help him but also discovered new ways to tweak my search. It is huge when people can help each other, it's what makes the world go around, along with the little things....