Writing Again

A former colleague asked me today what happened—he was looking at some of the old things I used to write. He’s excited about starting his new blog, and I absolutely love that he’s doing that for himself. It takes an incredible amount of courage to put yourself out there, to let people consume your content, and open yourself up to critique—whether it’s questioning why you used a drop shadow on your text, what you’re learning, or pointing out the obvious thing you may have missed.

Creating content, whether it's a blog post, technical paper, how-to video, or even just an infographic—is time-consuming. But I think engaging with the world and collaborating is important. Everyone has something to offer, so why not you? And why not me?

I used to write all the time. Technical posts that barely anyone read. Posts about being a house league hockey player. I even made content about NHL news. All of it took commitment. So why did I stop? Honestly, I don’t have a better answer than priorities.

I’m going to toot my own horn here a bit—if you told 14-year-old Larry what his life would look like in 2025, it would be everything he wanted and more. Actually, sometimes it’s too much to handle. I play and watch hockey. I go to games. I’ve become health-focused, which in my world means making time to feed my body right and keep it moving. I make sure my amazing dog has the best yard possible—because he deserves it. Family. Friends. Guitar. Ice cream making. Stand-up comedy. And of course, a full-time job as a Solution Architect, which requires me to stay current with the ever-changing world of technology.

What is free time again?

I’m not immune to the growing unease in IT—about job security, the rise of AI, impostor syndrome, the looming threat of layoffs. All of those concerns apply to me. And I know so many people who are actively working to “better” themselves in their careers. I am, too—but in a way that feels less defined.

So let me try to define “better.”

To me, better isn’t about job titles, paychecks, or certifications. It’s about alignment. Alignment with my values. With who I am to my team. With how I contribute. With how I show up in every part of my life. With how I impact other’s lives. I aim to contribute to the best of my ability at all times.

Writing, for me, used to be an attempt to share. Even if no one read it, it helped me reflect, push myself, and create opportunities to connect. Somewhere along the way, I lost that. Life got full—beautifully, overwhelmingly full—and writing got pushed aside. But I’m not the same person I was when I stopped. I’ve gained experience, launched successful projects, helped others grow their careers, built all kinds of new skills. And here I am thinking about how proud I am of the people around me who are striving to be better and wondering: Am I doing my best to be like them?

So here I am, writing again. I’m not going to over-polish things, and I’m not going to obsess over any criticism that might come my way- trust me, I know I can’t spell “recieve”.

This is me being honest. This is me wanting better for myself, and for you, whatever “better” means. I’m not even going to stress about the consistency of what I put out there.

To those who used to love doing something but haven’t revisited that itch in a while: maybe now is the time. Maybe it’s time to evolve. Take a breath. Reflect. It doesn’t have to be tech-related. Maybe that energy will spill over to other areas of life. But if you’re not pushing yourself, how will you ever know what you’re capable of?

Evolve. Move forward with the right intentions—and see what happens.

That’s what I’m doing.
Join me.