I’m just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round,
I really love to watch them roll.
No longer riding on the merry-go-round,
I just had to let it go.
– John Lennon, Watching the Wheels
For some, the holidays are a time of reflection. For others, it’s a great excuse to chill out and party. I like to do a little of both. OK, maybe a little of the former and a little too much of the latter, but that’s just me.
The other day, I was driving around doing some last minute Christmas shopping when John Lennon’s “Watching the Wheels” came on. Maybe it’s the time of year or just my mood, but the lyrics really spoke to me in a way they never have before, particularly on the subject of hard career choices many of us wrestle with.
The song is a response to those who took issue with Lennon’s five-year exit from the music business to enjoy a little family time and raise his son, Sean. While there is some question about how happy he really was in that role, there’s little doubt that he willingly dropped out of “the big time,” as the song suggests.
You’d think that would be a tough move, but that very much depends on his reasons for making it. It may have been a hard choice, but if he did it for the right reasons, it was probably the right choice … for him.
I can relate. In 2003, I gave up all the power and perks of a senior executive in the high-tech industry and, instead, chose to lead a relatively quiet life as a management consultant,…