Nothing in the world is harder than taking the first step. Take this site, for example. This whole experience has been taking shape inside of my reality for as long as I can remember. I have been having a conversation with myself since before I was born. I have always felt that I wanted, no, make that needed, to discuss and debate issues to feel complete, and discover some kind of satisfaction with the world around me. To this point I have been a failure. Not a complete failure, mind you. Just a run of the mill failure. I have not allowed myself to make the effort to find and interact with those people that I could have that conversation with and find some peace and pleasure in life itself. I want this. I need this. And I have resolved to finally do this. But I can’t do this without something which is more important than anything else, and that something is you.

I can continue to talk to myself forever, and undoubtedly I will. I don’t know how to turn it off. But it gets a little tiring when you’ve basically heard most of it before. And that can be worse than talking to your mother, or worse yet, your mother in law. But at least those conversations cease at some point and you can return to a modicum of silence. Not so with yourself, or at least with myself as the case may be. I do not have the luxury of removing myself from the conversation. It is constantly there, all the time. It is never-ending. Eternal. And I don’t even know what the hell I am talking about half the time. But I would not have it any other way. It is difficult to explain to others how comfortable that I feel in my own skin. It is a real joy to be somewhat happy and content with the path you have chosen and your place in the universe. To accept who you are and what you’ve become. To acknowledge that whatever that resulting ‘ you ‘ has become, was done through a lot of work, a lot of serendipity, a lot of challenges and a lot of hardships. Not to mention a little luck, both good and bad. I am proud to say that I have never wanted to be anyone else. Ever. There are people that I admire, and people that I would not mind emulating, but I do not want to be them, if it means not being me. I have envied them their money, which certainly would have made life easier in many ways, but I would not be the person that I am today if I grew up with that money. Would I be a better person? Impossible to say. But I know with surety that I could not be the person I am today having experienced life with that kind of security. I have envied them success and material possessions, but again, my life would have been different. Possibly better, and certainly more comfortable than the life I have experienced, but I feel confident that I would be a different version of myself, having experienced those things. That is not to say I would not like to try those things now, with who I am and with what I now know. To use what I have experienced, to see if I would use that experience wisely and retain that ‘ self ‘ that I have achieved. We will probably never know.

Being happy with one’s self is a fundamental concept that cannot be achieved by simply wanting it. Being happy cannot be bought, although many people have tried. Some try very hard and some actually have been fairly successful at it. But the question of happiness is a relative one. Rover the dog is happy, sitting there with a full belly, cleaning his butt, with his master not far from his side. Very few cares and less responsibilities. Looks happy to me. But does he even know what happiness is? Maybe he could be happier with a nice steak later, instead of that canned stuff, or more content with a solid run in the park, or maybe he could find peace just being allowed to sleep on the bed tonight. Maybe finding him a new girlfriend would do the trick. Does he think of those things? Does he think at all? Do we?

Unfortunately for us, we do think. Or at least some of us do. We question our existence and struggle with thoughts and feelings that sometimes make us feel uncomfortable and unsure of ourselves and our reality. If you have ever felt that way then you are the person that I have been looking for. But if you are a Rover in the world of man, then I wish you well. May you continue to have a full belly, a clean butt, and a little something on the side every now and again. But if you want to understand, just a little better, the world around you and your place in it, then I would like to share some thoughts with you. Questions, and feelings. And if we are lucky, maybe a little something intellectual and informative on the side now and again. Some insight and understanding about who we are and why we do the things we do. What are the right things to do and what is the best way to determine the right and wrong of things and how do we get from here to there.

I was born a philosopher. I have questioned everything I have ever experienced. I have never stopped. I never will. If and when I do, that will be the day I die, irrespective of the day my body ceases to function. I am not a Socrates or an Aristotle. I am not a great thinker. But I think, and therefore I am. I think and therefore I question. I cannot help myself. I am passionate about Philosophy and making my little corner of reality just a little bit better for all concerned by using the power of thought. The ‘ Great ‘ philosophers were concerned with a general view of philosophy. I don’t really care if a tree makes a noise when in falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it. I certainly could care little about what the meaning of ‘ is ‘, is. Our focus here is something that we like to call ‘ Practical Philosophy ‘ and that is what we intend to develop and share with you on these pages. You are welcome to have a look at my ramblings and take away from it what you will. We would enjoy and encourage your questions and comments, and most of all we would be ecstatic to have you join the conversation that will take that philosophy to the next level, one baby step at a time. And bring Rover, he is always welcome as well.