Who am I and why should you care?
I have been writing for over twenty years; published many times in that period but I have never felt that I really found my voice. I am now slipping (ok, sliding headlong) into the second half of life. Thus, this is the perfect time for me to look both backward to lessons learned and forward to how I want to finish this phase of my life.
The evolution of self is a complicated and complex thing that is a journey of personal growth, spiritual growth and societal impact. As we move along a path at any given time we are impacting the world through one of these three very human aspects.
Thomas Merton, one of my favorite writers, said, “Every moment and every event of every man’s life on earth plants something in his soul.”
I would expand on this concept and say that “Every moment and every event of every man’s life on earth plants something in his soul, impacts the souls of others, and produces either good or ill within society.”
Thus, the personal motto I have developed for life reads like this; “To Shine on all I meet, to Create, to Embody and to Guide.”
Let me explain what this means to me; I have learned that our connections with others may often be very brief. Thus, if we do not do our best to “Shine” on others then what we are typically doing is raining upon them in some way. My writing is my primary creative outlet which allows me to touch others through thoughts and concepts. Ultimately, embodiment is the spiritual or faith element for me which weaves a thick cord through my life. Lastly, I believe that I was put here to be a guide. Not so much as a individual or personal guide, but as a sign post pointing the way toward something more. Something that will help others improve to create significance in their lives.
So, who am I? I am, at most, a commentator on life. That is who I am. I sometimes have a unique perspective but, for the most part, my perspective has been molded by those around me and the world (Texas) I grew up in.
Why should you care? Well, you shouldn’t really. But to be momentarily self-serving, my hope is that through what I write you might gain a slightly different perspective. Maybe learn a thing or two, and at most, take a moment to consider something new about (possibly) yourself.