Curmudgeon

In addition to colonoscopies, it is probably a good idea for anyone over age 50 to undergo regular screening for excessively bushy eyebrows – a sure sign of andyrooneyitis. It was my younger brother who pointed out I’m starting to sound a lot like the celebrated curmudgeon of 60 Minutes. “When I was a boy” has become a common adjunct to many of my conversations. And, admittedly, much of what I say and write is sniping at the endless process of change. My criticisms, of course, are always perfectly correct, but that is of little comfort. I respect doers more than complainers, which is why I find it hard to think of myself as the resident puff adder, spitting venom at every new idea crossing my path.

I never sit at my computer with the intention of writing negative thoughts, it just frequently turns out that way. The more things change, the more apt I am to find fault.

If I am to be honest, my grievances may have more to do with changes occurring within me than around me. In a very fundamental way, change is a powerful diagnostic tool. It constantly presents us with new situations and two choices: play or pass. The choices we make reveal a lot about who we are and what we’ve become: active or passive; daring or cautious; weak or strong.

I have been of the opinion from time to time that opportunity is drying up, but it isn’t true. One only need look at the phenomenon of the Internet to realize opportunity exists anywhere there is change and everywhere the human imagination can reach. You or I may have no desire to pursue those opportunities, but that is another matter. The fact remains, the potential for fortune and fame is as real today in virtual space as it was for those ventured to Sutter’s Mill, the Klondike or the oil fields of Texas at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Not everyone seeking fortune finds it, but the inventive and entrepreneurial spirit rarely goes away empty handed. I know people creating web-based self-sufficiency reminiscent of the bygone family farm. The internet provides lower cost tools and materials, enabling families to do more for themselves. In turn, items acquired, made or repackaged are offered up for sale at a web-wide “farmers’ market,” reaching millions of potential customers. The value of this model is to remind all of us in business that every new venture doesn’t have to be an all or nothing affair.

Small steps got many of us into business and small steps may be all that’s needed to take advantage of the opportunities of change that are all around us. At one time, seeking fortune literally meant risking life and limb. Today it doesn’t even require breaking a sweat. With ready access to the Internet any company can create a web presence and explore the viability of any product or service. If one thing doesn’t work, change direction and try again.

I don’t want to give myself whiplash by veering too sharply towards the positive, but I do recognize that change is the one thing most people desire when they hope for something better. I have often wondered, if I were a young man in the 1860s, would I have followed Horace Greeley’s advice?

Have a profitable day,

Jeff Irish