October 3, 2012

I just got back from a Rod Steward concert. I was pleasantly surprised. He was very low key and acted as if the audience was part of his family or friends at his house and he was their host. He is getting old and the voice is not as crisp as it once was, but that doesn’t matter because he was there for us the audience. Good Job Rod!

I have been at a conference of IBM’s for mainframe computers. Boy there are a lot of gray haired people here. One of the presenters said that we are just not retiring. Why, because we still like what we do and find it rewarding. I have to agree with his sentiment even though there are many days when I just want to say F***-it and do something else. But when I look at what I would do, guess what, I want to go on speaking tour telling people how great the mainframe is and how it benefits their lives each and every day. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying the mainframe would replace your personal computer or MAC because being the generation who developed the computer, know that the many different minis, distributed and other non-mainframe computer play a major part in making our everyday life more enjoyable.

I have been in Las Vegas the past week, that is where the conference was held, and I find that I really don’t like being here. The hotel is beautiful, the food had been good, but the opulence is over whelming to me. The other night we went to dinner in one of the many restaurants in the hotel, it took 20 minutes just to walk there and we never went outside. Also every time I turn around there is alcohol and being a member of AA finds this uncomfortable. I have caught myself thinking “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” Now that is not a healthy thing for someone like we who is allergic to alcohol to be thinking. The allergy is when I drink I break out in jails.

Back to the concert, I love music and it stirs deep hidden emotions. During the concert I found myself swinging from joy to depression, to self loathing, to missing my wife and children, to regretting many thing I did years ago. I think that is why I shy away for attending concerts. I went to this one because it was part of a team building thing for us mainframers. I am not sorry I went. I just know that there are many things left undone in my life. Just thinking, this is a good thing to turn over to my God. And yes I know I should be turning over my WHOLE life to my God. Guess you could call it being a slow learner or maybe even not feeling worthy of having God’s love. What ever!

Well it is getting late and I want to go to bed so I can wake up at 3 am and say oh good I have 3 more hours before I have to get up at 6 am.

Peace and Love to you all

Thy will not mine be done.