Living with Restlessness; It’s a Gift

My daughter was sorting out her life the other day and was confessing that she had this propensity for continuously planning the next get-away or the next project in her life.

Ideas visit her head like birds flying about always looking for a place to nest. She thought the restlessness was a bit of selfishness that needed her attention.

With whatever self awareness that comes to a father in his seventies, I likewise confessed, “you have me to thank for that trait.”

Indeed, I have lived with restlessness most of my life. At work, I so loved taking over an organization that was failing; what was known in business jargon as a “turnaround.”

Once the turnaround was achieved, I was not much at maintenance. I was ready to move on.

The last job that I had was in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. I received a confidential call and was quietly whisked away to the suburbs of Chicago and driven around in a limousine to discuss becoming CEO of a chain of newspapers.

When I came home, my wife said that she preferred we stay put. She was living near her family (we had a blended family). She had re-started her career every time we moved and was happy with her work. She suggested maybe I go to work and find a way to reinvent myself where I was.

I took her advice and worked for the Washington Post Company for the last 19 years of my career in newspapering.