My colleague Joe (as of tomorrow - thirteen years my junior) is off on paternity as of today. This got me thinking back to just over six years ago when I was in his shoes about to embark on life's next adventure sometimes called fatherhood. Would I have felt ready at 30? Probably not, I had just got married to Michelle and our income at the time and accomodation situation did not led itself to starting a family. Financially many moons away but also maturity wise a far cry from a person whom could inherit the title of Dad.
How does the saying go? Do not judge your chapter 3 against somebody on chapter 20 or vice versa. Everyone's timeline is different. It is public knowledge I had set myself specific deadlines for each key milestone decade of my life, married by thirty, children quota completed by forty. Who knows what the plan is for fifty.
With the benefit of being on the other side, half a decade plus I was able to share a few minor pearls of wisdom with my colleague during lunch around Covent Garden in the heart of the West End on Wednesday afternoon. However, there was probably more advice I should have given but you also do not want to get in the way of any individual's learning experience. We are all trodding a different path and at different stages in both personal and professional life.
My current employer does not provide any company sanctioned gift(s) when an employee is having a baby (particularly their first child). Each HR department to their own policy - suppose it does make me appreciate the Human Resources team and their personal touch, even in the dying days of CA Technologies as the Broadcom acquisition was clearly on the horizon in late October 2018. Therefore, I took it upon myself to organise the gift, setup a PayPal pool and reach out to all the key people within the organization, across multiple timezones and continents.
Last night I was on the computer late, waiting for a meeting with my boss. With her based on the East Coast, Thursday 4pm EST equates to 9pm GMT but it works for me as by this time both children and wife will be asleep and I can catch up on all the outstanding projects. Particularly important as next week Thanksgiving falls alongside the end of our current two sprint. I had happened to be on X (the social media microblogging network formerly known as Twitter) and stumbled upon a tweet (or whatever it is called now) by a marketing executive on a recent television commericial. I started watching, leaking into the time of my 1-2-1 with my manager. There was only one person I needed to share this video with but instead of disturbing my colleague (and all our global Data & Analytics (DnA) colleagues) I opted to wait and compose an elegent message on our WhatsApp group which could act as the informal send off.
It has been a long time since I cried during a television commericial - it is usually the John Lewis Christmas advert at this time of year but instead I was in floods of tears for a car advert. The irony of this whole post is my Dad had a 240 GLT in navy blue which he bought brand new in 1988 (E414CJO). It was his pride and joy. I promised myself - I would never own a Volvo. I would never become my Dad. I suppose that is what connects me so much to this short form film. I love you Dad.
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