Marc's BaseCamp base camp

Shuffling photos and electrons at the lake house in North Carolina

Why Did (Do) I Build This Site?

I used to send out editorials to my "Friends and Family" email list. I'd write thoughts and just have to share. I don't do that anymore, because I wrote this site; and I now have it as a place to store and reference those ideas. The people who want to see that stuff can click here anytime...and I never feel like I'm imposing ideas on them - because they come here willingly and proactively.

One thing that's nice about a place like this is that it's anonymous for the visitors. Because of this, nobody has to be confrontational. Sometimes when we debate and discuss things directly, via email or face-to-face, we say stupid things that we wish we hadn't. I know I do.

 "Life is like playing a violin in public and learning the instrument as one goes on."

-- Samuel Butler (1835 - 1902)

I have learned almost everything I know by trial and error, so I have a lot of error in my wake. I used to be very hard on myself for that, but the above quote helped me realize that I am not so alone in that - it's basically the human condition...though to varying degrees for everyone.

No one ever has to feel exposed or on-the-spot here. And if you have an "I never thought of that" moment now and again, I'll be ecstatic.

If you were one of the recipients of my email editorials in the past, I think you'll find that my tone has changed a lot. While I still have strong opinions (and apparently a gift for understatement :-), I strive harder to find a palatable way to express them, rather than simply rant about things I think are messed up.

"Even if you speak the Truth as well as a angel; but do not do so with love, then people will just hear noise"

--(Marc paraphrase of 1st  Corinthians 13:1).

I express my thoughts FAR better when I write than when I talk. When I talk with people about contentious subjects, we might walk away mad (or worse) and not hear what each was trying to say because the confrontation eclipsed the point. When I write the same things, the feedback I get is always extremely positive. I guess when I write I frame things better, and frame my ideas more logically. Maybe I just can't think on my feet fast enough to be eloquent in person :-) I don't know.

Writers need a place to put their thoughts. This site helps me relax in my daily life because what I feel needs saying is said. Maybe the site will last even longer than I do...as a kind of cyber immortality that my family will keep up after I'm gone. Who knows?

Yes, of course I know that I don't have all the answers, but this is where - when I'm being heavy - I explore the questions...and, in the process, open myself up to be questioned. That's what all writers do, and if they didn't, we'd all have fewer answers.

On the lighter side....there are simply a lot of REALLY fun or cool things in the world that I wanna share with other people like you. Not just thoughts on life, the Universe, and Everything...but pages on Ferraris; and Rock Climbing; and Pugs; and even Weird Al's 'White n' Nerdy!' video. So far, my life has been A LOT of fun (except for that one time, of course ;-) and I kinda think it'd be uneconomical for God to share so much cool stuff with JUST me.

Anyway, very sincere thanks for visiting.

- Marc

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