A Surreal Experience

If you've known me professionally for any amount of time, you know that i've always been hardcore about keeping my Contacts up to date. i protect them. i back them up. i would never let anything bad happen to them.

Part of the process of moving to GIN is about lightening my load... Unsubscribing from all the things i've been subscribed to over the years. Giving away things that will be better used by others. Retiring stained old t-shirts to the rag bin. And deleting all Contacts that aren't personal.

When i started, i had about 1550 contacts. i'm at 1068 right now. My best guess, at this point, is that i'll end up with somewhere between 200 and 300 when i'm done. For some, this might seem like an easy thing to do. Others may think it's a little extreme. For me, it's been a completely surreal experience... After growing and guarding my Contacts for so many years, it is interesting to observe my feelings, and the thought processes i go thru, while doing it. Profound, to say the least.

i take a little time each day to delete some. My first thought was to sort by Company and do bulk deletions, but there are some friends who still have jobs. So that wasn't the way to do it. Now i just go thru by name... Pick a random place in the list and start editing...

"Is this person a friend? Do i want them to visit GIN some day? Do i give a shit if i (n)ever hear from them again?" 

My feelings range from, "this is awesome" to "this is how i always thought it would feel" to "wow i'm really doing it" to "fuck that asshole". It's also been a really good way to think about people i may not have seen or heard from in awhile. Some bring a smile to my face and get put on my list to touch base with again. Some bring a smile to my face because i really enjoyed working with them, but get deleted anyway.

Most decisions are easy. Simple. If they were only a professional acquaintance, DELETE. If it's a woman who i really only wanted to get all sweaty with at some point in the future, DELETE. (For the record: There are not many of those and none that i've thought about in a very long time)

But some are not so simple... Because they are on this line where, we've met thru work, socialized some, but haven't really made the jump to Friends. Yet. So it comes down to considering whether or not i think we ever will. Some make it over the line and some don't.

There are others who, though we've had a personal relationship, for one reason or many, i delete anyway. Generally speaking, it's because there's something about their energy that i want to leave in the past. i don't want to bring it with me to GIN. And i don't want them bringing it there, either.

At the end of this process, if you're still in my Contacts, it's because you're special to me. i want you in my life and want to be in yours. i want you to come visit GIN. And i want to stay on your couch when i'm at your place.

Only one rule: If you are in the Solar Industry, no work talk!

PS - C-Mac is in.