00 Confessions of a Fool - Overview

Overview

I’ve been told nothing is worse than taking advice from a fool, but I can’t resist the challenge of giving advice to other people. I use the word “Challenge” because advice is like a bottle of wine. It may be just what you need, or it could be spoiled and vinegary. To be rich, full, and tasteful advice, it must be carefully sealed and aged. Wine turned to vinegar can still be used in cooking, but you may not like to drink a glass. In the same way, advice can be rich, full, and tasteful, or it can be offensive and sour. It depends much on the skill of the giver and a bit on the recipient’s disposition.

As much as I like to write, it is not necessarily what others want to read. Thereby is the quandary. The other predicament is ‘how’ I write, like a meandering stream of consciousness. People tend to read it and need clarification about the point I'm trying to make, or maybe they give up due to drowning in a deep rabbit hole filled with the rain of cats and dogs. In this case, since it contains my musings with some wise and some foolish, I leave it to you to determine if it is worth your time to swim through it. My intention is to share personal musings and inspire readers to embrace the unknown and be decisive and powerful.

Another intriguing issue is the struggle to concentrate and follow through. For centuries, people read text on paper, line by line, and were conditioned to take their time. However, the rapid evolution of society has led to a generation, including myself, conditioned to jump from one thing to another. Even when reading a paper-based book, I find myself speed reading, skipping parts, and feeling the need to rush through it, often lacking concentration, understanding, and appreciation.

Truth be told, I’m writing this for myself to help me slow down and think. I have this overwhelming desire that this is what I need to do at this time, and it brings me satisfaction and joy. If you enjoy my sharing it with you, that's great. If not, keep searching and find joy. Life without Joy is hard.

Disclaimer

There are parts of this that are sure to offend you. I follow the biblical Jesus Christ and his teachings, so people of this era would refer to me as a Christian. However, many interpretations and thoughts about the Bible and Christianity contradict popular belief and behavior. Therefore, the fact that I am a Christian will stop many from reading further, and my divergent views will then alienate many others. I laugh since that may reduce the number of people who continue reading. An author would want to increase their readership, not decrease it. We might imagine a funnel with many readers being directed to a bottle.

In this case, I’m not trying to market to increase readership. Instead of a funnel, maybe it is more like a moonshine still in the woods — hidden, illegal. It starts with a lot of mash and water, then distills into something powerful. Just like the moonshine still, my writing may not be easily accessible or widely accepted. Still, for those who take the time to understand it, it can be a powerful and transformative experience.

I dream that you will be decisive and, therefore, powerful. Not by your means, but realizing something outside of yourself, something uncontrollable and accidental, is more wonderful than you could ever dream or imagine.

The ultimate goal here is to ignite a fire within you! While I can't do that for you, I can inspire you. I hope my words plant the seed of desire in you, a willingness to be decisive and powerful, to realize that the unknown and uncontrollable can hold more wonder than you could ever dream or imagine.

I always end with this quote and can’t seem to leave it. Edward Teller was a famous theoretical physicist who was partly responsible for creating the atomic and hydrogen bombs. One of the other legacies he left us is this quote:

“When you get to the end of all the light you know, and it’s time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.” - Edward Teller.

In conclusion, I hope this story inspires you to know that, in the darkest night, you stand on solid rock, and it is possible to fly. My ultimate goal is to encourage you to embrace uncertainty and find strength in faith and decisiveness. I hope my words have planted the seed of this desire in you.