Figuring It Out

A reader left the following comment on the Seeking Alpha version my post about the economy not producing jobs.

I work for a small appraisal management company in California and many of my coworkers are ‘former real estate professionals. I used to be a commercial loan underwriter. Now I punch a clock.The lifestyle is better, but it took a period of adjustment. And getting back to the income level I had while in banking may take another 5 years, perhaps longer. Not the most encouraging statistic when you’re looking at 61 years old in a few months. My consolation is that I know I’m on a better path now, and my life is more fulfilling than ever.

I really enjoyed the comment and found his perspective to be very insightful. This is all important stuff insomuch as it appears the reader endured what was reasonably a personal financial shock, learned a few new things about what is really important and is emotionally better off for the experience.

You can figure it out now or you can figure it out later but if you can figure it out now you’ll be much happier.

Long time blog readers might recognize that one from our friend Bill here in Walker. We all have different priorities in life but often people end up pursuing what turns out to be the wrong priorities. This can be evident in reaching some goal that turns out to be empty or very anticlimactic. This happens to everyone on some scale but the point here is that it does not happen on some major scale with everything in your mid-60’s.

As for the pictures, this morning I went to a fundraiser for the families of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. It was a huge cross fit exhibition at the Captain Cross Fit Gym which is across the street from Station 7 and where the GMH crew worked out. In all there were probably a couple hundred athletes participating. The workout of the day (WOD) was 30 air squats, 10 power cleans, six pull ups and a 400 meter run and then repeat for a total of six rounds with a 40 minute time limit.

In the second picture Prescott Fire Captain Conrad Jackson did the WOD dressed out in full wildland gear including a 40 lb pack.

I also stopped by the shrine at the station. Many of the blue shirts have faded to what looks like a dark gray including one of the Walker Fire shirts there (upper middle in this picture).