RIP Nan
On Friday, 20th June 2025, my Nan passed away & whilst this of course is a sad time for me & my family as we come to terms with this, it was not that unexpected to us. We are all of course still saddened and will be taking the time we all need to grieve & reflect at this time.
Taking a Step back from PowerShell Community
As such I have decided to take a step back from all my community work with the PowerShell Working Groups for what I think is likely to be a short time, whilst I reflect and decide what I am doing next in life.
Particularly as whilst PowerShell is one of the many things that I have continually enjoyed and over the years have well and truly love spending time on, I can’t continue to do so whilst living on UK Benefits & I’ve yet to find a job listing that reads well, doesn’t immediately make me wanna 🤮 and actually properly interests me. More around the research I’ve done around job listings and what is wrong with them to come soon.
I think this step back might be until around August, it may be shorter, it may even become semi/fully permanent, depending on what I end up deciding to do next.
Future Community Work
I still have a number of other projects I am going to continue working on, like mhasl.me - Mental Health Affects Someone Like Me kila’s kitchen docTypes & others, so I’ll still be around. Just a little less visible in the PowerShell & Microsoft Communities for now at least.
How Am I, really…?
I know this may seem like I may be deflecting that question, which may not have been one that you had, but really, I am fine, other than my current ongoing struggles. Struggles that include not always being able to meet all of my basic needs, let alone all the more complex ones that I have too.
I am though glad I am in a more stable place than where I have previously been in life & as such able to reflect, grieve and start the process of accepting this new chapter in my families life.
My Ask to you.
I wont request or demand this, as they are too formal, and are less kind, but I will ask you, slot some extra time in the coming days and weeks to reconnect a little more to those that matter to you, whoever and wherever they are, because one day, you won’t be able to.
Though some do say that we shouldn’t use this term.
My Request of you
Get Outside more, especially if like me, you’ve been holed up throughout Winter and Spring.
My Demand of you
Have fun & learn more & please please please remember It’s #TimeToTalk, But it’s also #TimeToWrite
I Instruct you.
Yes, I will go as far as to Instruct you as part of this post.
All those older bonds that you had whether perhaps that may be with people like me that you have grown apart from, I INSTRUCT YOU NOW just spend 5 minutes, reflecting on the good times with those people, instead of any of the bad times.
I say this during PSConfEU - the European PowerShell Conference - a conference that I am proud of having done my parts to help it in 2016 & 2017. But nowhere near as proud am I am to see it be a success each and every year. Just like I am for every other conference that happens too. Be sure to thank your organising team as well as the speakers and sponsors, current and past, because without their shared vision & investments, events like PSConfEU don’t happen
Lastly
In this period of reflection, I know there will be many different paths ahead for me, which is why I have chosen to step back at this time.
But I know one thing, my nan would want me to make a plan for the future, and I think I am nearly there with some of the pieces that make up what the next few chapters in my life will hold.
so bye4now, have a good day and until next time, keep reading, writing, talking, and sharing all sorts of content with the world & remember it’s not just okay to cry and be upset, its an Important part of dealing with both physical and emotional pains, like the pains of loosing a loved one.