Back in the days when I first came to believe that our artistic pursuits were something much more than analgesic, I settled on writing as the medium that was going to be for me.  Several reasons, I am sure we will get into that later.  But one of my first concerns was simply:  what do I actually have to write about that someone else had not already conceived in their brain and expressed masterfully?  And so I resolved, experience first— process later.

And so time passes, in its way.  I look around now and I realize a couple of things, in my mounting age.  Firstly, some of the things I thought already well conceived and expressed seem to have been forgotten.  So there may be an imperative to restate some things, translated for a contemporary ear, if we judge the ideas to be worth saving.  Secondly, the quality and quantity of honest ideological exploration, ironically in our “Information Age,” seems to me to be sorely lacking.  Lastly, changes over time in society, science and technology, and, importantly, recreation, has provided a new fertile ground for ideas that few seem to be earnestly planting.  In short, I have some things I need to say.  In the end, I guess it is the intensity of that need that decides where ideas end up on the spectrum between daydream and literature.

I ask for your patience as I get this fired up.  I am dealing with some technology, newer to me, and there are obstacles.  There continue to be big demands on my time and attention.  I am also going to wrestle with another, trickier issue.  Namely:  I am not interested in sharing my stream of consciousness, recipes, silly photos, where I went on my last vacation.  Writing about issues which are topical, fueled by my personal experience, and produced sometimes hurriedly, constantly risks this *thing* morphing into something I do not want it to be.  My goal here, and please call me out if I fail, is that everything I write contain some idea that sounds novel, inspires, and/or empowers.  I am happy if I sometimes provoke, because discussion and debate is healthy.  But what I really do not ever want to do is irritate.  Too much of what passes as discourse these days is not respectful debate— it is just an exercise in who can get the deepest under the other’s skin.

It is my intent to invite others to share ideas/work on this site, if they care to.  I need to get some stuff established first, so that is a bit down the road.  Thanks to all who come to read whatever is here.  It is one of the greatest honor you can give a person— to care about what they have to say.