Overture

I'm new to this.

And I'm nervous.

I like to write - don't get me wrong - but I normally do it maybe twice a year. Relatedly, now that I'm no longer required to write for school, I only write things with any real length or substance when I develop a strong enough opinion that I feel the need to share it. One could logically (and alarmingly accurately) conclude from the prior statements that, on average, I develop a strong opinion about something roughly every six months. Judging by my daily encounters with others, I am the exception in this department, and the rule is annoying as fuck.

Hate is a strong word to use in any context, but those who know me well will tell you that, at the bare minimum, I don't have a lot of faith in my fellow human beings. I may hate them. I may not. I'm not entirely sure yet. Science tells me that I'm the same species as Paris Hilton or Justin Bieber or the lady a while back who faked her own death to get out of work that day, but it doesn't feel like it. It's one of the few basic ideas I've chosen to approach with faith in lieu of science. "I can't be like them........ Can I?"

Generally, I am an exception to the rule that says "People should voice their opinions as often as they're able, loudly and uncompromisingly, if possible." I'm unfamiliar with the exact wording of that particular rule (I'm an exception, remember?), but judging by the behavior I encounter, it must look strikingly similar to the way I've imagined it.

I don't think much of people, but there are exceptions here, as well. Probably hundreds of them. Any given person wandering in my observable vicinity may, in fact, impress me. Some of them do, and that makes me smile. Most of them don't, and that makes me depressed. Tommy Lee Jones said it best in "Men In Black" when he explained to Will Smith: "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it. 1500 years ago everybody knew the earth was the center of the universe, 500 years ago everybody knew the earth was flat, and 15 minutes ago you knew we were alone on this earth. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow."

This year's presidential election, and especially the general lack of enthusiasm surrounding it, elicited an impassioned Facebook status update from me that was both a) entirely too long and b) not really much of a status at all. It was a social commentary, and it ended up starting an interesting conversation. Over the course of the discussion to follow, I remembered that maybe I have opinions more often than I give myself credit for. In any case, as I mentioned before, I do enjoy writing, and I have the support of several people who have encouraged me to do this at one point or another. I've decided to give it a shot. 

I've given a brief introduction in my first effort at blogging, and my next entry will elaborate on the origins of my blog's title. Unless I don't feel like writing about that on that particular day. Then I'll write about whatever I want. It's my blog.

Speaking of which, I would like to throw out a cautionary note to those who plan on reading my blog. This blog will be relatively clean, but, if my memory serves me well, I made it maybe a whole paragraph before dropping an F-Bomb. Since that point I have been on some of my best behavior (depending on whether or not you believe cynicism is morally superior to swearing), but it's worth noting that this will happen from time to time, and I will not apologize for it. When it describes what I'm trying to say best, I am going to swear. I'll do it sparingly, but I'm going to do it because it feels good, and because this is my blog. Fortunately, I know some other words, too, and plan to use them more liberally. 

Similarly, I will talk about anything I want to. I will do that because it's my blog. I will write similar to the way I speak, and I will make style choices to attempt to illustrate that. Some days I will be funny. Some days I will be sad. Some days I will be wise, and others I will be only slightly less wise, but still pretty wise. Some days I will talk about sports. Some days I will talk about politics (on those days I will almost always be sad). Some days I will dive deep into religion and philosophy. Many times, I will simply tell some of the more entertaining stories in my life (because of my close personal relationship with alcohol, there are many epic misadventures to be recounted). On the days where I'm not helpful, I hope to be entertaining. On the days where I'm not entertaining, I hope to be helpful. 

I am, more than anybody I know, a relentless observer of human behavior. I am a cynic (as a direct result of my people-watching, I would argue). I believe in a creating force in the universe that more closely resembles a god than a scientific phenomenon, but I know the limitations of my knowledge in this department. I am confident - and can cross over easily into the realm of arrogance - but even on my worst days I tend to stay, at the bare minimum, tolerable. My favorite questions and topics are those with no answers. My favorite people are those who insist that they have the answers to these questions. I believe that right and wrong can be best described by shades of gray, and that there are few, if any, absolutes in the world. I'm fascinated by the fact that we exist, as well as the manner in which we exist. Like so many of us out there, I struggle with finding meaning in life. But I think for myself, and I'm proud of that. 

My name is Josh. I'm 26 years old, and I have a blog.