Yeah exactly, it's not just about more fun like @tessa922 said, it's about actually hearing the quieter people. I used to jump in right away, but now I wait and we get way deeper into the book's themes because everyone's had a chance to set up their point.

Oh man, that hits home. My buddy had a similar thing happen on a road trip out west. He had every campsite booked for two weeks straight, a real military operation. Then a huge storm washed out the road to his reserved spot in Yellowstone. He was forced to just... drive and find somewhere else. Ended up at this little first-come site by a river he never would have picked. Saw a moose and her calf at sunrise. He said it was the best part of the whole trip, and he would have missed it completely with his original plan. Sometimes you gotta let the trip happen to you.

Mentors are like that for a reason. I've heard the 2014-2017 Bosch 800 series had a real run of bad latches, but I guess you're the one doing the field research now.

Try explaining that to my boss who thinks being reachable at midnight is some kind of loyalty test. Solid move, @james_butler, because that "always on" grind just makes you hate the job faster. Real dedication is actually being rested enough to think straight.