To begin, take one powdered thestral hoof...

While we often hear of peer pressure, a much less discussed phenomenon is that of peer envy. It is for that reason I find myself here, breaking ground on my own blog. Partly because of this man, and this one as well, who attributes his own blogging inspiration to this fine woman, I discovered that reading the thoughts, opinions, and experiences of others makes for a refreshing afternoon of mental stimulation. Now that my blogging ancestry has been established, let us move on to the topic at hand.

As this is my first attempt at blogging, I am sure there will be moments when I falter, or go astray on some highly irrelevant tangent. But as I have learned, without a summer project I quickly find myself in the doldrums of summer life as a student. Since this is perhaps my last of such summers, I think I should make the most of it!

Now my interests are varied, perhaps even eclectic, like so many of us out there. Books, current events, video games, politics, college life and beyond; so many topics, and such short attention spans. 

Therefore I write of my thoughts, of how things could be and when I dare, how things should be. An English teacher of mine in high school convinced me that stories, regardless of their fiction and embellishment, have true messages. For this reason, I feel that there are things to be learned from the myriad forms of human expression. Where you find thinking people, you find thoughts worth knowing, be that in the “hard” sciences, mathematics, social sciences, theologies, philosophies, literature, visual and aural arts, or those disciplines that fall in between. 

Unlike many people today, I do NOT feel that our country, society, or world is headed for disaster. Perhaps naively, I believe the majority of people work with honest intentions and worthwhile goals. I may have alternatives to these goals or means, but that does not invalidate the idea under inspection.

That said, I fully welcome any challenges to things I say here. The vada tradition of debate, dating back to ancient India, welcomes philosophies of many backgrounds, provided they make themselves debatable. In doing so, one learns to better understand what one believes by putting it in conversation with the beliefs of others. 

So what do I think? Here are two quotes to give you an idea:

"You read it by grace," said Xaphania, looking at her, "and you can regain it by work."

"How long will that take?"

"A lifetime."

"That long..."

"But your reading will be even better then, after a lifetime of thought and effort, because it will come from conscious understanding. Grace attained like that is deeper and fuller than grace that comes freely, and furthermore, once you've gained it, it will never leave you." -Excerpt from The Amber Spyglass

“The day may and should come when a national reformer will appear who can be figured more in the guise of St. Michael, armed with a flaming sword and winged for flight.” -Excerpt from Herbert Croly’s The Promise of American Life

These are both personal goals of mine. At this point I won’t say anything further, since I’ve said a great deal already. Only one thing remains.

So, what do you think?