However, I am driven on by the indomitable human spirit, the same spirit which drove Columbus to the New World, drove Armstrong to the moon, drove America to independence. It is a curious thing, this spirit; all of us here on this ever-contracting, ever-expanding planet possess it to some degree, from the mailman who fulfills his duty to job and country by braving a wild Doberman to the Marine who hurls himself upon a grenade to, at the cost of his own life, save his brothers from certain death. It drives us to exceptionalism, to great feats of valor, to spectacular achievements. It motivates us to go beyond our comfort zones, to brave the unknown, and to make the impossible a reality.
It is upon this spirit that dreams are built, and it is upon this spirit that I call to aid me in my quest of expression. So welcome to all! May this little expression of someone else's opinion provide, if nothing more, at least a moment of respite from the boredom of your own opinion, dear reader.
In this, my first entry, I want to briefly outline who I am, as well as the purpose and conventions of this blog, in the hopes that this will be a roadmap, a hitchhiker's guide in a sense, both to you, reader, and to myself. First, the purpose: My intent is, in a nutshell, to offer a thoughtful presentation of my opinions concerning various things, maintaining--hopefully--a moderately intelligent discourse (though I hope not to lose myself in a torrent of meaningless academic drivel).
As for the conventions, I would just like to clarify a few technicalities concerning the style in which I intend to write:
- As should be obvious, I will be writing in the first person, and occasionally referring to you, reader, in the second person. While I fully realize that this is not the most scholarly habit, it would be incredibly difficult to convey things which are my own personal opinion without resorting to personal pronouns other than he, she, it, and they.
- Second, I plan to write on a relatively high intellectual plane. The topics I would like to discuss lend themselves to a reasonably specialized vocabulary.
- Finally, I want to encourage appropriate comments. I like nothing more than a healthy, good-natured argument, and I hope to have many here. That said, please keep your comments at least vaguely on-topic. I am not a dictator, but I would appreciate your adherence to this rule, and I will delete any content which I find offensive. Thank you in advance.
Finally, I want to offer a general idea of who I am. I am currently a senior in high school, living in a small town in Central Ohio. I plan to graduate and attend college, majoring in political science with a specialization in American political history. I am home-educated, but attend most of my classes at a small classically-minded private school for home learners. While I am by no means an expert in anything, I vainly cherish the belief that my opinions are at least slightly informed, and that my thoughts are valid enough to be advanced into the proverbial marketplace of ideas.
Most importantly, I am, unabashedly, a Christian. I attend a small Reformed church, and hold fast to faith in Christ Jesus. My beliefs affect everything I write, and, without reservation, I want to be perfectly clear: My opinions will, without exception, be shaped (directly or indirectly) by my Biblical worldview.
All of that said, welcome, one and all, to this blog. May it be of some enjoyment and, God willing, profit to all who read it.
