future in design

Jerome’s finger hovered over his mouse pad. His eyes wandered to the digital clock in the upper right hand corner of his laptop. 5:03pm - already 3 minutes late. 

For the past two months he’d been dropping into an open community chat, a live forum for engineers to connect, discuss, and network. For weeks he had watched countless graduates show up, blaze their way into the heart of the conversation, and snatch up job opportunities that hadn’t even been on the table. And for those same few weeks, Jerome had remained silent, wanting to push himself, but never knowing what he wanted to say - why jump in? What value was he adding? He would wait silently, watching in confusion, wondering what was wrong with him or perhaps if he just didn’t have what it took, only to then reach the end of the three hour networking special, roll back onto his lumpy mattress, and spend the rest of the evening feeling lousy. 

Maybe he needed to apply himself more, to be aggressive, and get out there. But week after week, he’d join in, listen, even share a thought or two, only to be bulldozed over and left with that same sinking heart feeling of finding no room at the high school lunch tables. 

5:04pm - the clock ticked further as Jerome debated. He wanted to take advantage of the opportunities that were at his feet, but was he making the most of them if something consistently felt off? Where was the line between pushing past a comfort zone and wedging oneself into a slot that was meant for another? 

When did he stop trusting his own voice? 

5:05pm. 

And then - it hit him. An idea. A new beginning. The outlining sketch of a new wireless track seemed to draw itself on the blank walls in front of him. Jerome clicked off from the forum home page and instead, opened his digital workspace. 

As his fingers began to type furiously, trying to keep up with his mind, he suddenly found himself syncing back up to a way that felt more true, as he leaned back into the flow of his future. 

- b

June 9, 2021