Hey it's me, your friendly neighborhood blogger and (former) indie consultant. It's been a bit quiet but I'm returning to blogging at tomcritchlow.com
My Dad worked from home - he ran a semiconductor import/export business called TC Components for ~30 years. His home office was covered in packing tape, semiconductors and microchips.
There was no twitter in my Dad's day but he had a small TV in his office and I have core childhood memories of bounding into his office every day after school at 4.30pm to watch the gameshow Countdown where contestants would play letter and number games.
Together we'd try and solve the problems and see who got the higher score.
My dad died last year. All my life he worked for himself.
The only role model I had growing up for what work looked like was my Dad's home office.
I suppose it's likely that's why my Brother and I have worked for ourselves for most of our lives. My brother has run his own company for ~20 years, and for 10 years I worked for myself as an independent consultant.
The apple never falls far from the tree I guess.
But last year I took a job. And I realized I never emailed this list about it. If I'm being honest there are some feelings of being ashamed. Ashamed at taking a full time job. Of abandoning independence. A significant part of my identity was wrapped up in being an indie consultant and serving others on the indie consulting path.
What would my Dad have thought about me taking a job?
Me and my Dad years ago at the southern tip of the Isle of Man, where he lived for 25 years.
The child is father of the man.
My own kids burst into my home office all the time. What memories will they keep and cherish? Of zoom calls? Of me writing my blog?
Parenting, and kids and work and blogging have been on my mind lately.
Here's the post I wrote last year when I hung up my indie consulting gloves: 3,573 Days On The Road - The Last Installment.
More recently, last week Brian and I re-booted Little Futures, our experimental publication designed for provocations about near term futures and I wrote the first issue about technology, families and kids: LF13 Family Futures.
So where to from here?
ChatGPT told me "Independence is a practice" and I like that framing. Last time I had a job (2012-2014) my biggest regret was not blogging my way through it. I don't want to fall into that trap again so it's time to dust off the blog and get back to writing.
Blogging after all, is the only way through.
How are you? What have you been up to? How are you navigating life's transitions?
Much love,
Tom