2012 draws to a close in a few hours. It will probably strike midnight with me looking into Andrew's crib at his peaceful face. I will sigh and say to myself that this was easily the best year of my life and more than anything it had to do with family. Having Andrew has been the best feeling ever, it has filled my life with a lot of happiness, and despite being so much work, he has been such a wonderful experience. I just hope that I continue to feel this way for many years. He has a lot of energy and is extremely curious. He does not want to sit still at all, constantly exploring his surroundings and getting into trouble. For several months now, he has been standing up while holding things - cruising, they call it. We wait with excitement and some degree of fear for the moment he takes his first few steps unsupported.
Not so long ago, I turned 30, and I felt pretty good about where I was in life. I am happier than I have ever been. Life, for me, has gotten progressively better over the past 8 years or so, with the exception of the miserable time I spent in UMich, but even that period has led to a lot of professional happiness and progress.
I guess there have been several themes of priorities I have had over the years and I may have written about them in the past. As the years have gone by, I have become more interested in personal finance. I was a late start in this regard. Only recently has this taken center stage, and I hope my 30's will be a positive experience in the art of building a sense of "financial security" for me and my family. I was very fortunate in most of my career, starting all the way back at Infineon. Nvidia has also been a great experience, I have learnt a lot, and they have allowed me to be very close to Andrew in his first year. The speed of learning has not been the fastest, but fairly significant. I am more or less happy with the varying learning opportunities.
The other thing that has become important to me is political and moral philosophy. I find myself somewhat persuaded by libertarian ideals, swinging from an ambiguous left to a somewhat concrete right-wing mindset.
Still very early I think to tell about where I will settle, but my change of mind was influenced a lot by my colleagues at Nvidia, chief among them, David D.
Another far more remarkable change is the onset of some form of minor philanthropic impulse. I have been a deeply selfish person all my life and unapologetically so. I have shown myself capable of kindness on rare occassion, but no one I know would characterize me as kind . This stemmed, somewhat, from my very clinical and apathetic view of the world. Andrew inspired this change in me. I questioned my apathy and wondered about the plight of other children born into this world into less forgiving circumstance. What would a poor father who loved his child wish of the world? And I guess, I understood, that I have nothing to lose to be a little more kind. And I should give simply because I can and because someone needs it, and leave morality out of it.
Life is ever changing, and a place of infinite learning experiences. I am glad that I am still as much in awe of the universe around me despite all my cynicism. Looking forward to being a better man in 2014.
Not so long ago, I turned 30, and I felt pretty good about where I was in life. I am happier than I have ever been. Life, for me, has gotten progressively better over the past 8 years or so, with the exception of the miserable time I spent in UMich, but even that period has led to a lot of professional happiness and progress.
I guess there have been several themes of priorities I have had over the years and I may have written about them in the past. As the years have gone by, I have become more interested in personal finance. I was a late start in this regard. Only recently has this taken center stage, and I hope my 30's will be a positive experience in the art of building a sense of "financial security" for me and my family. I was very fortunate in most of my career, starting all the way back at Infineon. Nvidia has also been a great experience, I have learnt a lot, and they have allowed me to be very close to Andrew in his first year. The speed of learning has not been the fastest, but fairly significant. I am more or less happy with the varying learning opportunities.
The other thing that has become important to me is political and moral philosophy. I find myself somewhat persuaded by libertarian ideals, swinging from an ambiguous left to a somewhat concrete right-wing mindset.
Still very early I think to tell about where I will settle, but my change of mind was influenced a lot by my colleagues at Nvidia, chief among them, David D.
Another far more remarkable change is the onset of some form of minor philanthropic impulse. I have been a deeply selfish person all my life and unapologetically so. I have shown myself capable of kindness on rare occassion, but no one I know would characterize me as kind . This stemmed, somewhat, from my very clinical and apathetic view of the world. Andrew inspired this change in me. I questioned my apathy and wondered about the plight of other children born into this world into less forgiving circumstance. What would a poor father who loved his child wish of the world? And I guess, I understood, that I have nothing to lose to be a little more kind. And I should give simply because I can and because someone needs it, and leave morality out of it.
Life is ever changing, and a place of infinite learning experiences. I am glad that I am still as much in awe of the universe around me despite all my cynicism. Looking forward to being a better man in 2014.
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