Thoughts From A Public To Work-At-Home Dad

 One reason that I like to blog is that I like to reread old posts.  Basically, I use it like a journal.  I use it to understand myself.  In my last post I talked about Kaley's transition from homeschooling to public schooling.  When I reread it, I thought about my own journey from working "in the fray" to my current state here working at home.  Kaley and I have gone in opposite directions.

If I give a fairly strict translation of Kaley's going from home to public school to my situation ---  just letting it say what it says... and disregard whether or not it is true...  I hear:

The factors that kept me public were:

1. I think I had an inner sense that I needed to be challenged by the external measuring stick - tests, fear of failure, competition, dead lines... "the real world"
2. I needed outside motivation. I needed supervision to hammer and gauge me.  Wonder only takes you so far. Yes, the hammer works best for me when it comes to getting the job done. I responded well to that.
3. Hearing a lot of good things about NASA
4. I would be with coworker friends

The factors that pushed me home:

1. I wanted to be at home
2. I have books and the internet to teach me
3. I  learned more alone and liked learning
4. I needed the comfort (arm pain)/security (not NASA's --- an intentional dig) of home
5. I was sick of demos/stress/waiting and the bureaucratic/business herding mentality from project to project.  I was ready to once again find time for exploration, reading, nurture and wonder.

Hmmmm... interesting...  My off the cuff remark is that Kaley and I are actually going the same direction in opposite ways.  It's about growth.

If I sit back again... I hope I am not pushing her to grow for growth's sake... simply because it is some extension of some period I am in.  I'm not going to follow it into psychobabble though (well I suppose I just did!).

I also need to make some money... so I better get to work so I can maintain the ship's course.