Looking Up From the Screen
Look up from your phone…. I’m right over here!Don’t worry. This is not another article about cell phone dependence. It’s about this author and my observations and decision-making process.
This New Year’s eve I found myself in a beautiful restaurant surrounded by beautiful people. I looked over to the bar packed with men in tuxedos and women in fabulous dresses waiting to be seated. For one crazy minute, almost frozen in time, I noticed that every one of them was looking down at their phone and not one single person was facing another human’s face. They were all texting or reading. No one was interacting. It was a bizarre scene. The prior month, I heard a statistic that art museum attendees frequently took more time lining up their cell phone shot of a piece of art than they did spent actually viewing the painting itself. It kind of confirmed what I’d been experiencing myself.
In October, I’d spent the day hiking and chatting with my most trusted confidante about work, life, and what I’d like to focus on in the coming year. We sat on a rock in the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, and while viewing the peak that’s the image for this post, I made the decision to suspend my blog for a while. What I’ve discovered about myself through regular blogging is that saying things in 400 words or less is really not my style. While I love to educate and assist people, I’d rather speak to you in person. I prefer writing in-depth pieces on complex subject matter rather than summing it up in a couple of paragraphs. I like seeing people’s faces and reactions more than looking at my screen.
When I started blogging about financial planning specifically for divorce in this space over two years ago, there was not a lot of written content available. In fact, whenever I told someone that I worked to optimize your financial future after divorce, everyone said “Gee, I wish I knew you when I was getting divorced. I didn’t know that such a profession existed.”
The word is out. People now realize they need a CDFA’s assistance to navigate the complicated financial maze of divorce decisions and its long-term ramifications. And there is a lot of written information readily available.
So look for me in 2017, because I will be looking out at you. I’ll be doing workshops, small groups, meeting clients in my office, in coffee shops, as well as visiting art museums and looking at nature through my own eyes, rather than through my screen. As always, if you need assistance with the financial aspects of your divorce, or financial planning in all areas of your life, call me.
Vickie Adams, CFP?, CDFA?
310-514-0240