A Bid Farewell

Here is a letter, the final one for some time. I have concluded that The Life Odyssey, as it stands today, is not aligned with my original vision of the project. For that reason, I will pause to focus on some other aspects of my life and rethink what I want out of this endeavor and how others might benefit. My goal was to provide a space where we could discuss things that we were struggling with and gather at a wellspring of knowledge and wisdom. Although I have given it my best to provide this community with what it seeks, it seems as though either the need is not there, I am missing the mark with my rhetoric, or people don’t want to hear what I have to say. I know that with continued effort and redirection, I could persevere, but I am questioning whether that is currently what I want and what is best for both myself and the community at large. 

“Truth is like poetry. And most people fucking hate poetry.” - Adam McKay, The Big Short: A Screenplay

It saddens me to have to do this at such a time. As I look around, I see many issues arising from ignorance and the refusal to think and learn. At my core, I am a seeker, a lifelong learner. I wish to improve myself and those around me. The Life Odyssey was an attempt to disseminate information that could aid others in that way. I’ve tried to find thirsty horses to bring them water, yet it seems there are far fewer of them than I ever imagined. 

“A true teacher would never tell you what to do. But he would give you the knowledge with which you could decide what would be best for you to do.” - Christopher Pike, Sati

A wise mentor mentioned something notable while he was explaining why he, brilliant by the way, does not write for others. He said, “The contemplation of most of life’s toughest and enduring questions have been thoroughly carried out by minds many times more brilliant than the both of ours.” So then, here I am, leaving these contemplations to the profound brilliance of others. As a result, I will devote this new time to reading the textual compendium “The Great Conversation.” This series of books is a conversation that history’s greatest minds created to discuss life’s most challenging mysteries. I encourage anyone hungry for knowledge and wisdom, as I am, to pursue reading this series. 

“The Great Conversation, in short, contains both sides of the issue that in modern times is thought to have a most critical bearing on the significance of the Great Conversation itself. Only an unashamed dogmatist would dare to assert that the issue has been finally resolved now in favor of the view that, outside of logic or mathematics, the method of modern science is the only method to employ in seeking knowledge. The dogmatist who made this assertion would have to be more than unashamed. He would have to blind himself to the fact that his assertion was not established by the experimental method, nor made as an indisputable conclusion of mathematical reasoning or of purely logical analysis.”

At this juncture, I welcome you all to a few aspects. The first is to stay in touch with me. Send me an email or Facebook message if you’d like to stay connected. The next is to continue your journey toward finding some aspect of this life that seems worthwhile for you to devote your time. Time is our only currency, and what we use that time for shows it’s something that we highly value. During this period, we can vote with our time and dollars to steer this world to a better place for us. Here are a few things to consider that I’ve seen growing in our society. 

“In the nearest future, those who understood the value of time will rule over those who trivialized time.” - Sunday Adelaja

I caution here against equality of outcome as that rhetoric is both dangerous and increasingly pervasive. We need equality of opportunity so that we all might get a chance to play as many games as possible. This approach increases each of our chances of winning. Handouts make us lazy and apathetic. I am apprehensive that the stimulus handouts in our country are the first step toward universal basic income. We have also been polarizing this issue of equality based on knowing what is the “right” thing to do. 

“A society that puts equality — in the sense of equality of outcome — ahead of freedom will end up with neither equality nor freedom. The use of force to achieve equality will destroy freedom, and the force, introduced for good purposes, will end up in the hands of people who use it to promote their [] interests.” - Milton Friedman

“Nobody can have anything that everyone else doesn’t have at the same time. That’s the ultimate outcome of equality of outcome.” - Jordan Peterson

The second tale of caution comes in the form of knowing. If we take a step back and fully take in what is here, we realize that there is little that we can recognize and that we know still far less currently. It’s when we take the stance of understanding, that we conclude incomplete evidence. When we draw any conclusion, we create sides. When we develop sides, we create division. This situation is what I see most in this country. Conclusions are drawn on thin layers of evidence (or worse none) that if they were ice, we would fall through into the frigid waters. Yet we are okay in assuming enough that it makes us feel comfortable in creating judgments where I am “right” and you are “wrong.” Now, of course, this realm of not knowing is a scary and challenging place to be, as we all want to know something. Our illusion of knowledge allows us to feel comfort and security in our perceived certainty. When we take a step back, we realize that nothing is guaranteed. 

“It ain’t so much men’s ignorance that does the harm as their knowing so many things that ain’t so.” - Josh Billings’s

These last words of warning are what I struggle with the most. This concept is a form of fear. There are many things that I would like to say, and ideas that I would like to promote as they seem ample in at least steering us away from some of our follies. However, based on many factors, I feel that I cannot, without potential severe repercussions, express my views and concerns. This action is perhaps the worst of the bunch because it is self-censorship at it’s finest. The fascinating part is many, potentially you included, will say, “Oh, you can say what you want, it’s a free country.” I strongly urge you to consider something contrary. It is not a free country, especially for folks such as myself who have been put on trial for things that others, who happen to belong to a group that I do by birth, have done. I can’t entirely agree with what most of those others have done, but I am paying for it in many ways - and I’m sure that I’m not even allowed to say that. I struggle standing up and facing my fears so that my actions do not flare into my face like gunpowder if you light it with a match. This fear I know is where I need to spend time working on myself and facing those apprehensions.

“Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free.” - Jim Morrison

In conclusion, I hope that you all have learned at least some small bit from my endeavors. Again, I would enjoy hearing from you and any thoughts that you might have for me to improve my future attempts. I will be back; The Life Odyssey will live on, this is simply a hibernation period. This juncture is the time right before the winter, where I will crawl into my cave for a while, perhaps years at this point, in the hopes of emerging stronger and with a more explicit focus and a more determined drive. Stay strong, stay connected, stay safe, stay curious. 

“If I can put one touch of rosy sunset into the life of any man or woman, I shall feel that I have worked with God.” - G.K. Chesterton