Just a Small Hiatus

My last post was in 2014. Yikes!

Reading back over some of the posts, I am pleased with the things I have been thinking and intending. I am not happy about my general lack of follow-through, however. But there it is; that is my kryptonite. Self-motivation.

I began listening to an audio book version of Robert Kiyosaki's book Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and he mentions that an important step along the way is minding your own business, as in tending to the business that is you and yours. I have always believed that writing is part of what I am to be about, and this blog is one outlet for it, a potentially very public part. (Journaling is another way, but that really goes nowhere. I won't draw the obvious parallel to other things you do by yourself.) So since I have so much time to sit and think (since I am currently still driving a truck), and nobody is monopolizing my writing time and effort, I guess I can choose what to write, when to write, and who to invite to read it. Of course, ANYBODY could just stumble by and read it; that's fine. But whether anybody comes back for more really depends on me. The quality of my writing is important. (OH MY GOODNESS, the lack of quality out there is stunning, and yet people STILL MAKE MONEY!!!) But the frequency and consistency is important, too. You shouldn't have to guess whether I will post more. I should post more, and try to be regular. Therefore, I will try this: I will try to post something at least every week. Sometimes the schedule can get a little wild, and I can't really promise daily posts. Plus, at this point, to overpromise breaks trust. So once a week. More when I can.

And starting with the next post, I will try to make it something other than me looking at me not writing!

From the tablet

Since I don't get much time with the laptop, I looked in the Play Store and found a blogger app to put on my tablet. True, withe cracked screen, working with programs is difficult, but at least it's something. That's always more than nothing, you know.

posted from Bloggeroid

Mega Man

I have changed the subtitle above after careful consideration, and consultation with a dictionary. I don't really think I have a (bad) mental illness, but I know I do have a tendency to not only dream, but to typically take each and every dream and turn it up, max it out, take it to the ultimate. This drives my wife nuts, and tends to confuse the children; they constantly think we're going to move (because I'm dreaming of houses), or that I'm going to buy a bus (because I want one, badly), or whatever the squirrels tell me to do next. Solution? BLOG IT!!! By writing it out, rather than speaking it out, I can accomplish (at least) two things: I get it out of my system (for the moment), thus making life less confusing for the fam; and I also exercise my writing skills, something that I constantly yearn for, but typically procrastinate terribly about. I anticipate repeating myself endlessly, revisiting old ideas over and over (and possibly with little-to-no variation), but it is the exercise (exorcise???) that is important. Hey, if you don't want to read it, that's your option! Hear me, squirrels??? (On a related note, the triple punctuation marks are just a bad, squirrel-induced twitch in my hands. Bear with me.)

Debate vs. Ridicule

Truck driving gives me a lot of time to think, but very little time to write. It really is better if I keep my hands on the wheel, and actually also if I keep my mind on what I'm doing at the time. Even so, various issues are occupying my mind, and so I will try to share them here, as I am able to make time to write.

One such topic that arose out of a "discussion" on Facebook concerning religion is the nature of debate, especially over Biblical issues. I find that debate on Facebook is rarely really debate. Statements people make are more likely to be rhetoric, wherein the writer is trying to persuade others (sometimes by blunt force trauma) as opposed to truly exploring both sides of the issue. Responses, especially disagreements, are more often ridicule rather than debate, attacking the original statement rather than presenting another side.

For me, this issue has especially shown itself when the topic has anything to do with the Bible or religion. I am conservative, and believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible. To me, many comments and responses are hubris; they show signs of liberal bias against the authenticity of scripture, and often are merely acceptance of other liberals' opinions about scripture, not self-formed on the part of the commentator. Most could easily be countered by a simple personal reading of the indicated passages. I would love to detail each of the obvious errors, but I suspect that many respondents aren't really that interested in a conservative viewpoint, merely in their own rhetoric. I have been, and will probably continue to be, limited in time and access needed to discuss the issues, but even if I could sit and write all day (ah! such bliss!), it would still have to be read. I'd really rather people would spend time actually reading the Bible for themselves, but I do love to write, and if something I write makes people actually want to turn to the sources themselves, that will be fine with me.

It does take some doing to understand the Bible well. I've only got 30+ years of personal and corporate study, including at least three years (and counting) of reading the Bible cover-to-cover, plus a few seminary classes. I won't hold myself out as an expert, but I am moderately familiar with most of it. I would recommend reading it personally, rather than relying on others' opinions. It was written so we can know something about God and his relationship to us. And actually, religion is a whole different topic, which I intend to address in future posts.

Time should already have died...

...because I've been killing it so much!

Some time ago, I decided to try to read through the Harvard Classics from Volume 1 to 49. The contents can be read in a number of different patterns, but I decided the simplest would be cover to cover. Some of it is pretty darn dry, and I have already skipped over an essay or two that I simply couldn't plow through, but still, it's amazing how the insights from vastly different eras are still valuable today; in fact, people could stand some reflection on some of those old insights, because they most certainly still apply today. So, I will share some here, because I know what a VAST audience I have! (Hello to both of you!)

I'm only in volume 3 so far. Wikipedia has the index, but I will share those three here:

• Vol. 1: FRANKLIN, WOOLMAN, PENN
  • His Autobiography, by Benjamin Franklin
  • Journal , by John Woolman
  • Fruits of Solitude, by William Penn
• Vol. 2. PLATO, EPICTETUS, MARCUS AURELIUS
  • The Apology, Phædo and Crito, by Plato
  • The Golden Sayings, by Epictetus
  • The Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius
• Vol. 3. BACON, MILTON'S PROSE, THOS. BROWNE
• Essays, Civil and Moral & The New Atlantis, by Francis Bacon
• Areopagitica & Tractate of Education, by John Milton
• Religio Medici, by Sir Thomas Browne

Most people would be aware that Ben Franklin would be good for some input. I have to say, though, it would be worth anyone's time to revisit the autobiography. John Woolman was a Quaker, and traveled extensively preaching against slavery. Very interesting stuff. William Penn, also a Quaker, offers many insights on a topic-by-topic basis. Especially interesting to read the Wiki on him.

For the next volume, let's just say there is a ton of interesting fodder for the philosopher and everyone else there. There is a reason some of this stuff used to be part of a common education.

Bacon's New Atlantis was AMAZING. Considering when he wrote it, he is talking about NETWORKING INFORMATION SYSTEMS. Milton had some good stuff on education, one of my own passions, of course. And given that I have occasionally headed toward seminary, Sir Thomas Browne was awesome! He was a doctor who was accused of being an atheist. So he wrote his "little" book to refute that. Some really wonderful stuff. One quote I liked:

"The wisdom of God receives small honour from those vulgar heads that rudely stare about, and with a gross rusticity admire his works. Those highly magnify him, whose judicious enquiry into his acts, and deliberate research into his creatures, return the duty of a devout and learned admiration."

There is so very much material to talk about in these books, I believe my fingers would melt into the disintegrating computer keyboard, were I to attempt a complete discourse... But I will try to share and expound as the mood strikes. Eh, it's something to do, anyhow. Better than sitting and staring at the snow. Or rain. Or whatever Michigan weather chooses to do at any particular moment.