I worked on an integration project team while in Houston during the early 2000s. The project was winding down and I began thinking about my next assignment. I wanted to return to energy trading after working on a year-long organizational project. My supervisor called me into his office, told me to …
Screwdrivers
I am sitting in a Seattle Airport lounge awaiting my connecting flight to Victoria, BC. It is still winter and in Seattle, this means cold, rainy, and cloudy skies. I stare out the large windows and see parked Alaska Airlines planes, runways, tall trees, and distant mountains. I am grateful to be …
Bethlehem
Christmas Day has sadly passed, and the news programs are now discussing the past year: celebrity deaths, wars, politics, gun violence, climate change, and sports. Most of the topics are negative with occasional glimmers of optimism. We mourned those who have died and celebrated new life, marriages, …
Christmas Church Services
It is the week before Christmas and the final days of Advent are upon us. I attended my church’s three Advent services and was especially moved by the carols and lessons service during the second week of Advent. Carols were sung by soloists, young children, and the congregation. Between these …
Telling the Truth
My first trading position was as a domestic gasoline trader. I traded in New York Harbor (NYH), a large hub of gasoline supply for the northeast US. This region did not have enough refining capacity to supply the populous industrial demand, so my job was to purchase gasoline from imported cargoes, …
British Winters
Almost fourteen years ago, my wife and I moved from the Houston tropics to the London cold. I accepted an ex-pat assignment in London to manage my company’s northwest Europe trading and marketing business. In early January, we boarded a plane and landed in frigid London. It had recently snowed, and …
Love and Work
Most people do not understand what I did at work. When asked what I did for a living, I usually replied, “I work in energy trading.” The person who asked the questions would usually stare back at me with a blank expression on his or her face. I would then say that I worked for Shell Oil. Then the …
Children & Economics
My daughter and her family recently entered a new phase of life: home ownership. She is a stay-at-home married mom with three adorable children (I am biased!). Her husband worked for a period after finishing his undergraduate degree, then spent five years completing his Ph.D. They rented homes until …
Dividing Line
I live in a multicolored world that is filmed in black-and-white. One is usually either ‘for’ or ‘against’ something, with little desire to envision the complexities of life. Humanity desires simplistic answers and quick solutions to some of the most vexing societal issues: homelessness, abortion, …
January
When I was employed, I disliked the month of January. I thoroughly enjoyed the December holiday season and the joy it brings. The week between Christmas and New Year’s was relaxing, with too much food and football. By the end of New Years Day, I started dreading going back to the office because I …