I started blogging for a couple of reasons. First, as I work with (and for) more people, it is important that they get a sense of what I value and what I believe in. This is, in some sense, a force multiplier for communication.  The second major reason I blog is because it helps me to refine my thoughts and speak articulately about important things (people, strategy, leadership, choices, winning, losing, culture and communication, technology, poetry, and of course hockey.)

In that spirit I asked our web producer and blogger extraordinaire to suggest ways to help me reach a wider audience. Her very first comment to me (phrased slightly differently) was "Who are you and why should I pay attention to you?" Cogent comment. Not sure why you should pay attention to me, but what the heck, I will give a shot at explaining who I am.

My first thought is that I don't know how to explain who I am.  I am many things. I can't help but think of "The Breakfast Club" when I hear that phrase. It seems like something that has followed me my whole life, explaining who I am and what I believe. I am 6'4" large, and I feel like I have had to be aware of my size since I was 11. Not easy explaining to someone that you really like that you accidentally just broke them because you outweigh them by 50 pounds and you aren't sure how to move that large of a structure.  I kid you not. Just a couple of weeks ago I hit a kid on the ice so hard that his contacts popped out. It wasn't intentional, but there you go. (And, worse yet, he was on my team.)

So, I have been many things in my life. At the age of 14, I was the sophomore class president and a football jock. At 16 I was the lead in the school play and on the debate team. At 17 I was a ski bum and a mentor for 6th graders. At 18, I was a poor kid trying to get through life by managing a McDonald's and attending classes. At 22 I was an Army officer and a business school student. At 24 I was an older Army officer and a Director of Security. At 26, after my GM explained to me that I was scaring people (high and tight very tall and serious Director of Security) I became a wedding planner. (* Yes, it is true, and I value that time. My GM was wise. He explained to me that dealing with people I didn't understand and learning to do it with grace was in important part of leadership. He taught me to be softer and not look at everything as though it was a problem waiting to happen.) At 25 I wrote my first real software program and I became a software engineer (and a wedding planner). I worked nights at Grumman Aerospace learning Unix and programming. I literally would work from 11PM to 7AM and then I would go sell weddings from 8AM to 5PM. My wife would occasionally come to work with me and keep me awake.

Now I work at Sun and have the privilege of working with a team of outstanding engineers.

And so, Mr. Vernon, I am many things. I am a father, a husband, a writer, an engineer etc...