This morning was noticeably quiet. Not my calendar - that was pretty busy.

But rather, the actual noise level was so minimal compared to the craziness of the weekend.

See, there’s a massive “block party” in my neighborhood every summer.

I used scare quotes because this party isn’t just a few dozen neighbors gathering around a BBQ grill and a Bluetooth speaker.

No, this party is a full-blown, ticketed, four-stage music festival held directly on five densely-populated city blocks. In past years, it's attracted huge headliners right amidst their rise -- Lizzo, Charli XCX, Chappell Roan.

And the nearest stage is close enough to rumble my windows and floors during every set, from Friday noon to Sunday midnight.

Now, the first few years I lived here, I excitedly paid my $100 ticket and embraced the weekend. Not even a festival fan, I just enjoyed the “event” of it all, and that it took place basically in my backyard.

But over time, the novelty wore off.

As did my propensity for days-long beer-fueled parties.

Meanwhile, the artists grew younger, I grew older, the tickets grew costlier, and the music seemed to have gotten louder.

So I just stopped going.

These days, bitching about the Capitol Hill Block Party is a default topic of conversation among my 40-something friends. And the days leading up to it involve planning activities or day trips to get out of the neighborhood for a bit — let the festival-goers have their run of the place for a while.

But last night, sitting at my computer during the last hours of the festival…

…feeling the bass of the evening set felt sort of…comforting.

The roars of the crowd, and the flashes of the lights and lasers seemed…welcome.

The melodies and vocal hooks were…enjoyable.

And I got to engage with it all, from a distance, from the comfort of my home.

So why this monologue on a middle-aged man’s shifting interests in music festivals? Because it’s the same arc as leaving corporate.

You go the corporate route initially because it’s there.

It’s grueling, sure, but it’s also exciting, rewarding, and yes, fun!

But over time, your interests change. Your needs change. Your life changes.

And at some point you decide, you know what, this just isn’t doing it for me anymore.

But that doesn’t mean the party’s over.

The corporate “festival” will always be there, year after year.

Hell, they've already backfilled you with a new crop who’s gung-ho to take all the good with the bad.

But you, and your acquired expertise, can step away and come back as you wish.

Engage with it, from your preferred distance.

Contribute to it, within your own parameters.

And enjoy it, again, by your own design.

💡

-Wes