The Musings of an American Citizen- It’s All Connected
I currently keep myself on the cutting edge of historical study and scientific understanding by devouring sources in written, visual, and audio formats. If I’m lucky and find a lecture on the US Civil War or NASA’s vision of lunar habitation I jump on it if I can afford it. These duel interests, Science and US History, have developed in parallel for as long as I can remember. I’m certain that my current enthusiasm about these interests has changed as I left one stage of life’s experiences to enter another. As one would expect living organisms to evolve over time and thus adapt to a changing environment, my views must have succumb to similar forces.
As I write this, the 50th anniversary of Man’s first lunar landing and walk is just days away. I find myself drifting back to the time when I watched the launch of Apollo 11 on television as an 8 year old boy living in Brooklyn. I put my memory into fast-forward to trace the twists and turns that took me from my childhood to adulthood. It’s easy for me to see my earliest recollections of the Apollo missions as the first domino in a chain that led me to now. That I didn’t end up as a scientist or astronaut isn’t a surprise. I can see how it led me to the study of US History and a career as an educator. What is surprising is that during periods of reflection I get the feeling that the chemistry between my interests and experiences have ultimately altered my understanding of citizenship.
The way I see and process the world today is through the historical, mythical, and imaginative lens (the Apollo Missions and Abraham Lincoln have loads of these three qualities). That lens has been formed and polished by the social, economic, political, and cultural experiences that I’ve encountered (think of my upbringing, jobs, religion and such). Perhaps the connection I’m making may still be difficult to visualize. In my next post I’ll try to establish some context for self-reflection and clarify the thoughts I’m entertaining about my past. To keep myself from falling into a pit of details, I’ll depend on the pain I experience in my lower-back whenever I sit for more than 30 minutes. Once I feel a stabbing jolt in my spine, I know I’ve written enough.
I’m not quite sure what I’ll write beyond the next post. I’m trying to examine my life to explain the now. Why the past made me this way and made me into a citizen with particular beliefs is where the thought experiment kicks in. I hope it’ll be that tool which enhances my understanding of the impactful life I’ve lived. Essentially, this website will serve as my repository for these musings. “An unexamined life is not worth living”.
I hope I have sufficient years left to absorb the comments you provide as you engage with this experiment. For that reason, I reserve the right to alter my views. Should those comments be deemed worthy, they may become one of those impactful experiences I referenced earlier.
Welcome to the site and never fail to engage.
-Publius
US Citizenship 