My soul has awakened from a long unconscious slumber, hungry for it’s purpose. Join me as I traverse the middle passage in search of it. – Brian Galler
Hi, I’m Brian. I live near St. Louis, Missouri with my wife and four kids. I’ve worked various roles in the Information Technology (I.T.) industry.
In 1988 I joined the United States Army as a computer technician and network engineer. I served four years. After basic training I went to Advanced Individual Training (AIT) for electronics. I spent two and a half years in Europe and a year in the Washington D.C. area. After my Army service I returned to Missouri and went to college.
I earned a bachelors degree in Computer Information Systems. While in undergraduate school I transitioned to software development. I developed software for about eight years. Then I branched into team leadership positions. I have been a project and program manager since about 2001. In 2006 I earned an MBA and along with my wife, tried my hand at being an entrepreneur. That didn’t go so well. I’m currently an I.T. Program Manager for a small company in St. Louis.
I enjoy I.T., but I have more to offer the world than status reports and project plans. I’m in my mid-forties and seeking for what my purpose in life is. That has led me to do some “soul searching”.
My blog has three themes which are my core values.
Integrity
I’ve lived a life of trying to do the right thing. It isn’t easy and I haven’t always succeeded, but I continue to try.
Simplicity
The song “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd has long been a favorite song of mine. I haven’t always lived as simple as I could have, but recently I’ve been moving back in that direction. While learning more about my spirituality I stumbled upon minimalism. Minimalism is the idea that we don’t find happiness in things. We often can be much happier and live a simpler and more intentional life with fewer things.
Exploration
I enjoy nature and being outdoors. In the Summer of 2016 my oldest son and I took a Mancation to Yellowstone National Park. It was epic and gave me time to ponder life. The core of our trip was spending eight days backpacking. We hiked over 90 miles through the Southeast corner of Yellowstone. The area is known as the Thorofare and is one of the most remote areas in the lower 48 states. The heart of the Thorofare is about 32 miles from any roads. Packing everything I needed to survive on my back taught me a lot about choosing what is important. It also taught me about how to leave behind the things that aren’t. I’m planning to go back to Yellowstone in 2017 to hike another corner of Yellowstone. I will hike all four corners.
Thanks for following along.
Brian
