What is this blog about?
This is a space for me to write about the things I love and the things I am thinking about. It is a window into my thoughts and opinions. The things I think I’m going to write about are music, food, games, and my own personal growth. But I’m starting this with an open-mind about where we are going and just see where the road leads.
The blog is anonymous and this is important to me. By keeping it separate from my identity, I think that I can be more honest and open. I want to use this as a space to evaluate my own opinions and feelings; I want to allow myself to be surprised by what I write here. I don’t want my fear of being discovered to influence my writing here. I ask that if you read, and if you interact with me, then you do it under a pseudonym.
Why am I writing it?
I am learning about myself and this will be a tool to further that process. I am in my 40’s so you might expect that I know who I am, that I am comfortable in my skin but I have recently been surprised to find how little I do know.
I think that I haven’t been honest with myself and I spent most of my life believing my own bravado. We create a persona that is how we present ourselves to others and that “outfit” gets more and more comfortable the longer you wear it. I am finding that my outfit was a costume that I think I created when I was a teenager and I don’t think it fits anymore.
This blog is a way of my breaking out of that. To give a concrete example, I spent most of my life believing that my love of music was a love of the party; my favorites always had a “scene” that was as attractive (or more!) than the music itself. This lead me to miss out on a lot of things; I told myself for years that “I don’t like music with lyrics” and now I see that was just wrong. Not true at all. Where did that even come from? The very act of exploring new music and writing about it here will help me to dismantle these errors of thought that I’ve been carrying for years. Decades, even.
Who know what else I’m going to learn was wrong? I’m excited to find out!
But this isn’t about regretting the mistakes or errors of my past. This isn’t a pity party. This is an awakening; a phoenix being reborn from the ashes (of a bowl?). This is positive and life-affirming, and FUCK YEAH! This is punk-rock and jumping up and down like nobody is watching. This is how I want the second half of my life to be; as good as I can possibly make it.
Who is it for?
Simple: it’s for me.
It can be for you as well if you want it to be. But I’m not writing for you. I’m writing for me. I want to document this because I think it’s going to be important. I want to remember this no matter what happens.
While I’m not writing to stroke my narcissistic need for validation from you, the internet strangers, I would enjoy interaction and to hear your opinions as well. I’m not asking for some “safe space” where nobody will challenge me or is an echo chamber. But I’m also not going to make efforts to build an audience or pander. If you enjoy the content, then engage, talk with me, help me on my way.
This is for the people I love as well. I am not always able to be as open as I want to be and this is a space where you can see the way I am talking with myself. I don’t share the conversation I have with myself often; even with those I love deeply. This can be a tool to share them.
What is this NOT about?
Despite my nom de plume, Galt, this is not about Objectivism. It is not a viewpoint blog where I want to convince anyone of anything. You may (or may not) notice that I assume an Objectivist philosophy but that’s not where I want to go with this. As I get older, my Objectivism is a smaller, and private, part of who I am.
I don’t care to talk about who is president, about how we pay for our healthcare, or about the politics of the day. Nobody is changing anyone else’s mind on these things and it’s not fun to try.
If anyone does pick this blog up and start interacting with me, I warn that I will just delete attempts to troll by raising tribal conflicts.
I am Galt 