Tom Kawczynski - Off the Record

I am changing the name of this blog from the somewhat generic title of "Selected Thoughts" to "Off the Record".  While I think it qualitatively sounds cooler than what I was using previously, I am making this change to reflect two things.  Firstly, it is a celebration of my newly launched business, a newspaper of no ill repute, and secondly, it is a rediscovery of myself in many ways.

Perhaps I have been playing politics too many years and have become too image conscious.  I don't mean being well dressed so much as just watching and gauging the impact of my every word.  There is a certain wariness that develops in those who play the game too much, and you stop letting yourself be free.  I find that being that way doesn't suit me so much.  While there is always a place for tact and discretion, perhaps honesty deserves a seat closer to the head of the table also.

So, off the record it is.  And, I have to tell you, the best conversations are often off the record.  One of the challenges of writing in a newspaper is that when you're busy selecting what content will be sufficiently interesting or relevant to publish, that there are so many really fascinating conversations that go by the wayside.  With articles like the one on pizza delivery, I try to share a bit of the flavor of these, and maybe it shows my inner dork.  I am learning that even though I'm nearly thirty, that I'm still curious about the world and how it works.

An example:  I spent ten minutes this Sunday learning about how people buy ice cream.  It sounds like it wouldn't be that interesting, but there are always surprises to be found.  For instance, did you know that people don't like buying ice cream when the temperature is beyond 85 degrees?  At first, I thought that was ridiculous as summer, heat, and ice cream are all linked in my mind, but the gist of the problem is it melts too fast and people don't want the embarrassment of spilling ice cream.  Though some cups are purchase, cones rule the day and sales plummet.

So, I learned something.  It doesn't change the world, but it was cool.  And I see that in a million new ways, and I learn what people think, and what they need.  I'm not sure if this will make me more successful, though I'm feeling good about what we're doing with the paper.  I am sure it will make me a better person, and that's something I am happy to write home about.