Continuing my series on work/life/channel balance, this week we are going to talk about life!

So, first, I think the running joke in my family is: Chris, retro computers ARE your life. Haha, fair, I do spend some time on the hobby, and as folks know, I like to tinker.

But fair to say, there are three other critical components to my life as well: family, friends, experiences, and health!

First, there’s family. I have my immediate family with me naturally, my wife of 20 years and three children. They are busy and active with school, volunteer work, and other extra curriculars. We love to spend time together and do have some overlap in each other’s hobbies and interests… not as much as you would think… but that makes each member of my immediate family unique 🙂 Beyond that, we’ve taken opportunities to live close to other family members… that hasn’t been the case with all of our moves, but generally has been true.

Second, there’s friends. It may not be surprising that many of my friends share common interests, and I’ve met (or reconnected) with them through the hobby, or met them through normal channels (work, volunteer organizations, neighbors, etc.). It’s fun to get together and hang out with my friends! And some of them are way too good to me!!

Third, there’s experiences. And, no surprise, this ties back to family. This summer in particular we’ve been spending a lot of time together as we have taken a couple of vacations. I really enjoy these times.. with everyone out of their usual space, we’re more in tune to spending time together! It’s fair to say that experiences come in all shapes and sizes and bridge all aspects of life (family, work, hobbies, health, etc.).

And fourth (and final for now), there’s health. I feel fortunate to be healthy! I do have some goals I should work on 🙂 But apart from seasonal allergies and the normal seasonal ailments, I’ve enjoyed really great health, and am grateful for that. I feel for those who aren’t as fortunate, since health can have such a profound influence on the day-to-day living that we do.

If you ask me how I am doing, I’ll often say “living the dream.” I feel very fortunate to have such richness in my life. That’s not to say that there aren’t problems in my life, but the good does outweigh the bad. I hope the same is true for you, and that whatever you do in life brings you happiness. Cheers!