Blues and Recovery

I sit here, trying to write an essay for my literary criticism class entitled "Ecology and Art: an Ecocritical Reading of the Oresteian Trilogy." I may publish it later if I find it meaningful. At the moment though, I'm ambivalent to the very particular, intellectual pursuit. And so, I’ve been discarding methods of formal essay writing according to my personal philosophy, which may, in all probability, lead me to a C or something. It's difficult, especially since I decided this morning that my next year at university will be all sciences. My mind is a torrent of conflicting ideas, and so, after watching an episode of Carl Sagan's 'Cosmos' series, I wrote this, which will carry me through the essay writing process and beyond. It is a balanced, holistic approach to life. A new personal philosophy governed by the pursuit of experience:

To create experience where there was only potential. To explore the core and recesses of existence through as many types of experience as possible. Journey to the heart of particles, atoms, molecules, life, Earth, Sun, Galaxy, Universe, and the mysterious Multiverse through science, creative pursuit, and mysticism. Approach the capacities of human experience drawing upon all of humanity’s memes across time, even those discarded as malignant or aberrant. Pursue to instill health and vitality in those around me. Find beauty in everyone and everything and in all emotion: love, friendship, hate, despair. Move to reflect this pursuit of the holistic self in my immediate society through activism. To continually find a new question. To continually search for purpose. To be particular or general, where appropriate. To be intellectual or emotional, where appropriate. To take dichotomies like ‘particular and general’ and ‘intellectual and emotional’ and show why there is no dichotomy, only potential experience. To not be afraid of contradiction. To constantly emerge.

Odd Entrances

I admit, I'm new to the blog bag.

For those who don't know me, I am Michael MacPherson of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. I'm a half-reluctant university (of Manitoba) student of moderate means and simple tastes. I like good food and fine pottery, candles and clever literature.

I am eighteen and I'm sure my writing and experiences will reflect that. Life is a long chain of action and reaction. It changes continually. It is emergent, moving from one stage to the next with little definition. This webpage is partly for me, and partly for you. For me, it is a way to organize my thoughts, to stand back and witness the changes occurring in my experiences and thoughts. As for you, well, if all goes well, you will learn valuable things that I pick up here and there. You will serve as my companion helping to clarify my thoughts (companion: from the French word 'pain' meaning 'bread', literally, 'one whom you share bread with', and you're more than welcome to stop by and have some toast and jam).

Together perhaps we can live each day to the full capacity of human experience.

Blogs will probably take the form of commentary on my experiences and thoughts, but like anything that is bound to change. Currently my interests are towards living a spiritually fulfilling life, but as I'm sure I'll write eventually, I've had a long history as an atheistic, scientific rationalist geared towards fantastic futurist technologies.

Snatch your cookie jar, munch out, and join me on this emergent pathway, wherever it may lead.