An unexpected smile

About ten years ago at Oracle, I hired a young man fresh from Stanford. Greg worked in my group for perhaps a year, and then he moved on to work at DreamWorks. He was a musician and composer, and music (rather than relational database software) was his passion.

My friend Brian is having a birthday today, and he replied to my greeting with a link to Greg's website.

I checked it out and listened to some of the tracks he has there. It was oddly affecting and, I must say, one of the most gratifying experiences I've had related to all my years working in the software industry. I wrote many recommendations for people who went on to get their MBAs, and I know many people who continue to do well in Silicon Valley...

But knowing that someone I used to see at the office every day is now making beautiful music really, really made me smile. And it gives me hope for the power of starting over and following your heart.

Check out Greg Chun's website. :-)