The modern concept of career is strange, particularly the notion of spending years—decades—in the same place. How does one advance in the same company, with the same people, doing the same work over such a long period of time? At some point there has to be a wall of diminishing returns, and thus a reason to explore elsewhere. I’m sure some employers advance along with their employees, adapting and growing to meet the needs of their consumer/client as well as the people they rely on to drive and maintain the business, but I haven’t encountered it yet. All I’ve known is the churn of better opportunities elsewhere and headhunting in a competitive and talent-driven business.

In other words, I wonder what’s it like to hang around someplace for a long time. All that familiarity’s gotta be suffocating.