Feeling Like Cap'n Bligh?
I had to read the replies and think about this carefully. I'm 57, in the best physical shape I've ever been in ( I was categorized as "platinum status" (?) after a life insurance examination last month), with 24+ years of very diverse IT experience. I can easily handle off hours and extreme overtime, since my other career is that of professional dance band front vocalist, and I can dance and sing till the wee hours.
Now that being said, the one thing that came to mind is... I have some moments where I think I may be getting jaded by the type of demands an IT career requires. My friends and the users I support often think I'm a miracle worker, and most of that is due to experience - after awhile, every problem resembles a problem I've already seen and conquered, or perhaps I know a solution some other wise guru conjured up. And there you go - do I want to continue in this vein? Or transition to something completely different, to spark creativity? Is it possible that after many years doing any one thing an intelligent person gets a little restless with the same-old every day, and yearns for a change? Maybe that's where the despicable 'age' commentary has some traction - we're old enough to know a lot, and have triumphed over almost everything - do we need more/different challenge? Meaning, we may not tire physically, but emotionally.
I'll probably be able to stay balanced longer than most, because I have the creative outlet of music & performance. In the meantime, I'll finish the multiple complex upgrades that I was hired to complete for a busy, public safety organization. And, I DO love my job.
