Hello to all my friends and readers. You may be wondering - what am I doing here on Substack?
Honestly? I have found myself reading a range of brilliant non-conformist (and uncensored) writers on Substack every day for quite awhile, so my first reason is that I'm grateful it exists and felt I should contribute my share to their nifty library of challenge and (admittedly chaotic) wisdom.
The mechanics of this thing. You can sign up totally free, read all of my posts and get email updates whenever I post new stuff (and please do sign up!) Unlike FB and youtube there are never any ads and there is no spam email nonsense either.
Now - my why and my what. I honestly love a lot of people I have met online, but Facebook ain't got no respect for content-creators. So instead of doing good work for a boss who extracts profit from me, but shows contempt for (and does not ever pay) me, I'm going where the respect is still intact (creator control of all content and payment). This way I can share freely, without having to constantly outguess a hectoring and censorious (perhaps even psychotic) Artificial Intelligence - and once again enjoy making the work (which I put a lot of effort into), instead of winding up feeling like a sucker who just got played by a second-rate corporate marketing robot.
I've had an odd life. With my own eyes I've seen people achieve extraordinary things with unorthodox approaches. I've also seen people behave with organized malice toward the non conformists in their midst with heartbreaking cruelty. I've seen sublime humane hope and aspiration made tasty and contagious, and I've also witnessed neurosis and denial creating rot at the heart of once sincere and nurturing institutions.
Some leftists are so emotional in self-definition they truly believe it is impossible for progressive ideas or progressives themselves to do damage. I know this is not just wrong and dangerous, but a quality of denial which has created a climate supporting multi generational abuse. Not cool.
Some on the right are so convinced of the proven value of tradition and the inevitability of exploitation and injustice they actually laugh at the idea of challenging and then changing substantial things for the better. But we all know that neither our prosperity nor our personal freedoms came from staying at home and going through the motions.
Thing is, the popular left and right have both been oversimplifying reality for more than half a century now - it's got so bad we can no longer find a balanced responsible mindset unless we're willing to break out of our tribal limits to add fresh ingredients. We simply can't get to truth as passive snake-oil spectators anymore (and if you check any fairy tale, there is a lot of evidence we never could).
Loneliness and hopelessness are at epidemic levels. relationships and basic human connection are suffering badly, even though they were the whole point of life right up until we became obsessed with our new digital existence. (The Ass-Troll plane?) ;o)
I think the people around us are incomparably more important than ALL of our fancy theories of interpretation. I think genuine love, unstinting generosity of spirit and the courage to insist on truth are together a better stronger plan than any manifesto or psalm I've ever encountered.
But I also understand that our theories and stories shape our understanding of the world and our actions - so we have to be good at discussing our 'narratives' clearly, and at freely challenging all the manipulative pitches with which we are bombarded as never before, so we can steadily improve our understanding, and do our citizen's job of looking after the world. Yes, I'm talking about the opposite of our modern trap of hopeless/helplessness!
Believe me, the idea that a creative nutcase like me would be dragged into writing civics, is at least as hilarious to me as it is to any of you.
But duty is the thing you know you can do and are sure will help, isn't it?
Best working definition I've got so far, anyhow - though as with everything - I am always seeking better ideas as I go - outright hoping to find myself proven wrong, so I can wake up the day after that just a little bit wiser still (and laughing harder than ever at all my old certainties and delusions).
I know I tax some with my strong anti-war and anti-tribalist positions. But I don't ever do this for the sake of emotional theatrics, only to clearly convey important information and context (so much of which is missing in all popular accounts of recent history).
As for the emotional discomfort of being faced with our own errors and challenged to improve our paradigms of understanding? I promise I will never ask you to face any hard truth which has not already put a serious dent in my forehead first (and made very little difference indeed to that metaphorical brick wall). ;o)
Painful only when it's worth it (and honesty and responsibility outright demand it). Inspiration everywhere I can, as long as it doesn't get in the way of the reality which will always and forever be far more important than what any of us confused and contradictory souls might want to feel or think about it.
Thank you sincerely for all the motivation, stories and perspectives - they fuel and inspire me more than I can say.
Sign-up with the button. And truly friend, I hope that you enjoy the ride!
(life is one per customer - no do-overs!)
- Paul
Check out more of my articles, podcasts, history, photography, art, music and other work from the last few years at: LargeEssSmallPress.com