Shhhh...I'm supposed to be working

Don't tell anyone, but I'm supposed to be working. I've got all the tools for it. I'm sitting at my desk at work in front of my computer. I have my email open, and I have my web browser open to the tasks I'm supposed to be working on, but I felt like writing something.

So I'm going to take a short break, and instead of going for a walk or maybe getting a cup of coffee, I'm going to see if I can write out a thousand words.

The trick is to write about something interesting to me. If you are reading this, I make no promises that you will find it interesting. It only needs to be interesting to me.

Still with me? Okay, let's see how long you stay with me.

For the past few weeks, my days have started pretty much the same way. It doesn't matter if it's a weekday or the weekend. I have been starting my days trying to learn HTML, CSS, and javascript. I signed up for a class on Udemy and started working on improving my programming skills. Web design seemed like a good place to start, so I picked a full-stack developer course.

This means that each morning when I wake up, I have committed to working on this for at least an hour. Most mornings, the time spent is between 5-6 am. At 6 am, I stop and either run or ride my bike for at least 75 minutes. Why? Because at the same time, I'm trying to improve my programming, I'm also training to be able to run the thirteen miles to my work. Technically it's an unsanctioned half marathon. The only one keeping track of any of this is me.

I am doing this to challenge myself. I want to keep improving myself even as I get older. I think back to my father before he passed away, and I don't remember him doing anything extra.

I guess it's possible he was doing something and not telling me, but I don't think so.

So I keep adding things into my life to challenge myself. I'm trying to keep learning new things. It's probably not going to help my job, and since I'm running alone, I won't be able to compare my running to anyone else's. I probably won't even tell anyone outside of my family I'm doing it.

I enjoy telling my family since they look at me like I'm a little crazy when I tell them I will run thirteen miles to work. It's worth it for that look.

I think back to when I was in my twenties, trying to learn as much as I could about my job. I wanted to be good at what I was doing. So I would go to work early, stay late, and study outside of work. I was just trying to be better at my job to make more money.

At some point, I was comfortable with the money I was making. I realized that I was making enough money to be happy. This doesn't mean I'm rich. I've just decided that I don't need to keep making more and more money to be happy.

I'm much happier when I learn things I want to learn about or participate in activities that I want to participate in.

I'm in a lucky position where I like my job, and I'm mostly happy with the money I make. Since inflation is a little out of control, a little more would be nice, but otherwise, I'm okay with it.

This means that I can do the things I want to do when I'm not working. I love spending time with my daughter. She turned five this year and is joking, and it's fun to see how curious she is about everything. I try to help her learn as much as possible.

This is also why I wake up at 4 am every morning. Getting up early in the morning gives me time to myself for a few hours before she wakes up. I don't mind. I've always been a morning person.

I will say one thing about being a morning person. When you are young and you wake up early, everyone just thinks you're crazy. They are very judge mental about early risers. I'm not sure why. I never tell them they are crazy for staying up until two in the morning. I think it, but I never say it.

But if you are an early riser, be prepared to hear about it. That is until you start to get a little older. Then they think you wake up early because you are old.

I want to yell at them, "I've always got up this early! It's not because I'm getting old!"

I don't yell at them, though. I just look at them and don't say anything. I tell them that I like getting up early because it's quiet. That seems to be a good enough reason for most people. The old man enjoys getting up early because it's quiet.

It's funny because I don't feel that old. The gray hair on the side of my head does say I'm getting up there in age, but inside I don't feel old. I still feel like a young person. I just have a little extra knowledge. I know what works and what doesn't.

So I know that if I keep learning new things and keep physically active, I will be able to chase my daughter until she gets old enough not to want me to chase her around.

I guess I'm scared that I am getting old. I fight it, but it's happening. There is nothing I can do to stop it.

That's not entirely true. There is something that would stop it, but that seems like it would be worse than fighting it.

I think I'll fight it until I can't fight it anymore. I'll keep doing things that make my family think I'm crazy because it's fun and it's good for me.

I made it over a thousand words—high five to myself. Now I should get back to work. It is why I'm here.