Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself

In Greek mythology, Echo was a nymph who was cursed with the ability to only repeat the last words anyone spoke to her.

In practical terms, an echo is the reflection of a sound that reaches the listener’s ears after a slight delay.

This blog takes its title from a 1996 song and album by the band Rush. For the Test for Echo tourbook, the late Neil Peart wrote this to explain the meaning of the title:

That’s what the title is all about. Everybody needs an “echo,” some affirmation, to know they’re not alone. Sometimes that can be life’s most precious discovery — somebody out there who feels the way you do. You ask yourself “Am I crazy?”, “Am I weird?”, and you need some affirmation: the echo. While the answer to those questions may still be “Yes!,” it’s good to know that you’re not the only one. You are not alone…

In these “unprecedented times” it seems like a good time to try and test for echo—to see if there is anyone out there who feels the way I feel right now.

I’m not new to this, really.

I’ve been spouting off opinions in a variety of formats for almost 25 years online.

That’s right. I became a columnist for one of the student papers in college in 1997, and there was a nascent website for the paper at the time. So I’ve been at this game off and on for a long, long time.

I’ve written about sports, relationships, pop culture, and just life in general for a long, long time.

I admit it has been harder to do lately, though. The signal to noise ratio has grown significantly higher, and it seems like those who make the most noise are the ones who get attention. It’s harder to elevate positive signals.

And so it becomes a case of throwing my hat into the ring once again, and trying my hardest to get my slightly different opinion on things out there.

After all, sometimes a leap of faith is required.

So this is my new writing home. I’ve moved as much of my archives here as possible from the other sites around the internet where I have hung up my shingle. I will admit right off the bat that there are a lot of bad takes in these archives. I mean, A LOT.

Like most people, I was prone to shitty takes when I was in my 20s. Some of that comes from thinking that you know everything, even though you haven’t really experienced anything.

And now, in my early 40s…well, I still don’t know everything. But the one crucial thing I know is that I am far from an expert, and that my opinion is just that—an opinion. And while not all opinions need to be shared, sometimes circumstances demand that we not be silent. Spots have to be picked, sure, but there are times where if you can say something, you should say something.

I am not prone to hot takes, although again, sometimes the rage of someone else’s take stokes the fires of my own. But I tend to generally be more reflective in nature, and I hope that that shows through here.

It’s a new year in my life, and a new direction. Let’s see where things take us moving forward.