I read a great article in the N&O this morning about preserving Durham's history. Gary Keuber is documenting the architectural originality of Durham which peaked my interest. I am a firm believer in maintaining a connection to the past but while embracing the future. You can't live the past and you can't stop the future. Why not embrace both?
When I came down from Dunkirk, MD to attend NCSU in 1984 - I loved the atmosphere of Raleigh and the RTP area. Small town feel but with lots of activities around the universities and colleges. Ten minutes outside the beltline (the old one - not the new 540) and you were definitely in the country.
Obviously things have evolved. More people, more Dunkin Donuts, more Starbucks, yadda yadda yadda. It also seems harder and harder to find people who actually grew up in Wake County. Nevertheless I think RTP continues to offer a great mix of history and progress.
I carry that philosophy with Career Management as well. This is especially true when you are working in the technology field. Yesterday's hot thing or cutting-edge technology is tomorrow's joke-of-the-day. I went to a get together the other night and someone pulled out a mobile phone that still had an antennae that you "pull" out to get better reception. Wow! I look back and reminiscence about the day when you only had to worry about one email inbox or when forwarding your voicemail to others was a big deal. Today - it's all about social networking. Sometimes I wonder how people find the time to stay stay current on facebook, linked-in, blogging, twitter, second life, etc.
The fact of the matter is that our next generation of workers has grown up with this technology. Social networking is a way of life with them. It is second nature. If you plan to be in the technology business, you either stay up with these trends or move out of the way. At the same time, to maximize the impact of new technology, you need to leverage all the successes and failures of the past. It takes a combination of new ideas and old experiences for a technology to really add long-term value.
I'm going to the new Durham Performing Arts Center this week to see one of our favorite entertainers. I am looking forward to the concert and enjoying this new venue but do plan to stop and admire some of the historic buildings also. Durham has a rich history and a promising future. One foot in the past and one in the future.
Obviously things have evolved. More people, more Dunkin Donuts, more Starbucks, yadda yadda yadda. It also seems harder and harder to find people who actually grew up in Wake County. Nevertheless I think RTP continues to offer a great mix of history and progress.
I carry that philosophy with Career Management as well. This is especially true when you are working in the technology field. Yesterday's hot thing or cutting-edge technology is tomorrow's joke-of-the-day. I went to a get together the other night and someone pulled out a mobile phone that still had an antennae that you "pull" out to get better reception. Wow! I look back and reminiscence about the day when you only had to worry about one email inbox or when forwarding your voicemail to others was a big deal. Today - it's all about social networking. Sometimes I wonder how people find the time to stay stay current on facebook, linked-in, blogging, twitter, second life, etc.
The fact of the matter is that our next generation of workers has grown up with this technology. Social networking is a way of life with them. It is second nature. If you plan to be in the technology business, you either stay up with these trends or move out of the way. At the same time, to maximize the impact of new technology, you need to leverage all the successes and failures of the past. It takes a combination of new ideas and old experiences for a technology to really add long-term value.
I'm going to the new Durham Performing Arts Center this week to see one of our favorite entertainers. I am looking forward to the concert and enjoying this new venue but do plan to stop and admire some of the historic buildings also. Durham has a rich history and a promising future. One foot in the past and one in the future.
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