Coredump, Pt. 2
Mar. 8th, 2002 05:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tugrik...and the rambling continues. :)
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Escape Velocity
I've got this theory about living in the Silicon Valley... it's an economic and social gravity well if you're a geek who likes toys, or anybody with a penchant for buying Neat Stuff. Mostly it's that one works a job to make money, but living here costs more than elsewhere, so to get ahead of the curve you work longer and longer hours. Do the startup-thing trying to cash in, and miss (remember, for all the hype maybe one out of fifty actually 'scored', leaving droves of microserfs). Comphensate for the lack of social life/vacation/time-to-yourself by buying cool things, Trying New Things, living lazy, or Living Large. End up out of shape, semi-socialized, and still somehow amazingly right on the debt curve even though the salary makes you blush when the subject comes up around your non-Valley friends.
Wash, rinse, repeat. 9 years have gone by so far.
What do you get? One of three results, usually.
> Many can't keep the velocity up, and eventually burn like hell on reentry... crashing and leaving the bay, with one or all of their finances, relationships, or health screwed up royally. I know a lot of people like this. Heck, one I know just went home to Ohio *yesterday*, to rebuild his life in the midwest, after being royally fried from his 3-or-so years in the Bay.
> Others will find a stable orbit. They'll find a job that they can manage the stress at even if it pays less, or learn to take the right amount and kind of vacations. Maybe even one they find Fun and like going to. They'll finally get tired of the 'New Stuff!' syndrome and get their money under control... and end up living in the Middle Class or so, kind of puttering along. Some will end up with higher or lower orbits than others, of course. Most of my current friends fit into this category; I do as well.
> The lucky few hit Escape Velocity.
I'm not just talking about hitting the Lottery (or the Employee Stock Lottery). Sure, that's one method, but it's not the core of what I mean here. Escape Velocity could be anything that breaks the cycle, and gets you out of this mindset and way of life in any way that's an *improvement* instead of a failure. It could be a new relationship, and a willing shift off to a quieter place to raise a family. It could be a major influx of cash, that if managed right lives to a life of luxury. It could be an internal revelation, which sends you out of this tech-job cycle to do something utterly new with your career and/or life. Whatever it is... just... it's an improvement. You don't lose anything; you gain. You leave the $3000/mo tiny crappy rental house full of expensive tech toys and the 10-hour-a-day techjob and go GET A LIFE... and enjoy it immensely.
To continue painfully dragging out this analogy: Part of the 'gravity' is economic; it's expensive to live out here. Part of it is social: Hard times in stressful jobs lead to relying on one's friends, and the development of strong local bonds can result, making you not want to leave those bonds even if staying in orbit is mindnumbing or painful. Strongest is the internal refusal to (or fear of) change: It's so EASY to just keep going to the now-manageable job, making the good pay, spending on the pricey Cost of Living. Wash, Rinse, Repeat.
I determined I was in orbit somewhere about 1996 or so. I liked it; it beat the fear of re-entry. The orbit's gotten a little higher over the last few years. The gravity of willingly accumulated debt (vehicle loans, etc) is pulling less and less. I'm currently back in the engine room, testing newly installed systems and simulator-training for life away from here. I'm closer and closer to being ready to break orbit when the chance comes. The big, terribly cliched question now begs: Once the boosters are ready to fire me out of my nice safe Silicon Valley orbit, will I be willing and ready to press the big "Go" button?
----
I don't know how much Coredump is too much. I may yet post more tonight. I figure if I get a good batch of momentum started, I might actually come back and keep posting.
--Tug
----
Escape Velocity
I've got this theory about living in the Silicon Valley... it's an economic and social gravity well if you're a geek who likes toys, or anybody with a penchant for buying Neat Stuff. Mostly it's that one works a job to make money, but living here costs more than elsewhere, so to get ahead of the curve you work longer and longer hours. Do the startup-thing trying to cash in, and miss (remember, for all the hype maybe one out of fifty actually 'scored', leaving droves of microserfs). Comphensate for the lack of social life/vacation/time-to-yourself by buying cool things, Trying New Things, living lazy, or Living Large. End up out of shape, semi-socialized, and still somehow amazingly right on the debt curve even though the salary makes you blush when the subject comes up around your non-Valley friends.
Wash, rinse, repeat. 9 years have gone by so far.
What do you get? One of three results, usually.
> Many can't keep the velocity up, and eventually burn like hell on reentry... crashing and leaving the bay, with one or all of their finances, relationships, or health screwed up royally. I know a lot of people like this. Heck, one I know just went home to Ohio *yesterday*, to rebuild his life in the midwest, after being royally fried from his 3-or-so years in the Bay.
> Others will find a stable orbit. They'll find a job that they can manage the stress at even if it pays less, or learn to take the right amount and kind of vacations. Maybe even one they find Fun and like going to. They'll finally get tired of the 'New Stuff!' syndrome and get their money under control... and end up living in the Middle Class or so, kind of puttering along. Some will end up with higher or lower orbits than others, of course. Most of my current friends fit into this category; I do as well.
> The lucky few hit Escape Velocity.
I'm not just talking about hitting the Lottery (or the Employee Stock Lottery). Sure, that's one method, but it's not the core of what I mean here. Escape Velocity could be anything that breaks the cycle, and gets you out of this mindset and way of life in any way that's an *improvement* instead of a failure. It could be a new relationship, and a willing shift off to a quieter place to raise a family. It could be a major influx of cash, that if managed right lives to a life of luxury. It could be an internal revelation, which sends you out of this tech-job cycle to do something utterly new with your career and/or life. Whatever it is... just... it's an improvement. You don't lose anything; you gain. You leave the $3000/mo tiny crappy rental house full of expensive tech toys and the 10-hour-a-day techjob and go GET A LIFE... and enjoy it immensely.
To continue painfully dragging out this analogy: Part of the 'gravity' is economic; it's expensive to live out here. Part of it is social: Hard times in stressful jobs lead to relying on one's friends, and the development of strong local bonds can result, making you not want to leave those bonds even if staying in orbit is mindnumbing or painful. Strongest is the internal refusal to (or fear of) change: It's so EASY to just keep going to the now-manageable job, making the good pay, spending on the pricey Cost of Living. Wash, Rinse, Repeat.
I determined I was in orbit somewhere about 1996 or so. I liked it; it beat the fear of re-entry. The orbit's gotten a little higher over the last few years. The gravity of willingly accumulated debt (vehicle loans, etc) is pulling less and less. I'm currently back in the engine room, testing newly installed systems and simulator-training for life away from here. I'm closer and closer to being ready to break orbit when the chance comes. The big, terribly cliched question now begs: Once the boosters are ready to fire me out of my nice safe Silicon Valley orbit, will I be willing and ready to press the big "Go" button?
----
I don't know how much Coredump is too much. I may yet post more tonight. I figure if I get a good batch of momentum started, I might actually come back and keep posting.
--Tug
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no subject
Date: 2002-03-08 08:23 pm (UTC)And it was an awful nasty feeling of orbital decay for a long while, which in a way is still going on, but it looks like Mir is possibly going to get an upgrade soonish before we hit the atmosphere.
We shall see.
no subject
Date: 2002-03-08 09:30 pm (UTC)*hugs*
Kat
no subject
Date: 2004-01-31 05:53 pm (UTC)I was born here. I'm like a deep sea creature pressurized to the demands. I can't imagine leaving, which is probably why I haven't.