Credibility

It is a bit of an issue with me at the moment. With the exception of a few friends, no one has known me longer than a few months. Who am I?

I share information about myself but my history is not very relatable. Although I am continuing my career in Information Technology, I am now working in a business area quite different from my experience. I think I could do a better job of relating my technical experience but the business context just doesn't exist here.

Not surprisingly, the schools I attended don't provide a recognizable reference point for most people either. Understandable. The schools are located thousands of miles away. I am happy to report that I have finally met people that have visited the Northwest. Each has had high praise. Even a few who have heard of the Canucks, Seahawks, and Mariners. Sadly, no one has heard of the Sounders (yet). But back to credibility. Some subtleties in phrasing due to cultural differences have also caused some confusion, compounding my impression that I am having trouble gaining credibility. The point is- I feel like a mystery.

Sure, I expected this. Yet I am surprised at how similar I feel to when I was first starting to establish myself as an adult many years ago. Except I have accomplished much more in life since then. Really I have.

I know it takes time. I have to prove myself here, find ways to show my true self, and let people get to know me.

Some time this week I was suddenly aware of how much daylight we now have. I have been in my new job for five weeks now. A wee bit scary to think it has already been that long. As you can tell, it has not stopped me from enjoying life here. But I think it caught up with me last week. I seemed to be a step behind. As the weekend approached, my heart wanted to get to the hills but my mind could not decide. So many ideas. I just couldn't sort it out and ended up staying close to home.

I walked around the Chatelherault Country Park in South Lanarkshire. The main building is a former hunting lodge built in 1730s. The grounds run along the Avon Gorge, with remnants of Cadzow Castle and this beautiful grove of old oak trees. I have seen conflicting information on these trees. Some say they are as old as 800 years while others say 500 years old. They have been around awhile.

The aroma of my roast chicken is calling me. Hope you had a lovely weekend!