We are born into a world. The great movie announcer of the 1990s
used to say "in a world "* and that is quite relatable to us
all, because at this moment * we are all on this planet. Our
minds may seem elsewhere * but no, they're actually here. I
don't believe any of us specifically asked to be born. This is
the complaint of many children and teenagers when arguing with
their parents * and they are correct. They didn't ask to be
here. I didn't ask to be here. And yet, here I am * talking into
my iPhone. Nobody else is doing it. It's me. I'm really here.
You're reading this * and you are really there. These are some
of the things that I know to be true. In the course of this
book, I will go back-and-forth between things that I know,
things that I believe, and things that I suspect may be. I hope
to distinguish clearly between them all, but I expect that I
will probably fail more often than I will succeed. But I try to
keep these things in mind that there's a difference. So: here we
are. I am sitting here on September 3, 2015 at 3 PM according to
the clock and calendar of my era. You are there. Where are you?
I have no idea. When are you? I have no idea. I suspect you are
somewhere in the future from this point, and I suspect you're
not sitting in the exact same chair that I am sitting in right
now. These things I can be rather certain of. There's a phone in
my left hand * it is cradled by my pinky. This phone is attached
to my computer, as it has little power in its battery and it is
currently being charged by my computer which is also sitting in
front of me. These amazing facts are in front of me every day. I
am here! How can that be? It doesn't make any sense. Yet, here I
am. I'm grateful for that as often as possible because I didn't
put myself here. Yet, did I put myself in this chair? Did I put
the phone in my hand? Did I connect the charger to the computer
because the little indicator on the phone said it needed to do
that for it? Yes. I chose to do those things. I put myself in
the situation that I'm in, based upon the constraint that I had
little choice over * which is being born. A strong part of me
wants to write about how I feel * how I believe * that other
people "should "feel", or believe, or think. It is quite likely
that I will do so at many times during this book. But please
understand * it is me talking * not as an authority figure over
you, but merely as a witness to my own existence and that which
is produced by that existence * nothing more need be implied.
Yes of course, you may. I can't choose for you what you should
think * even if you believe I can. Even if you were under the
influence of drugs, alcohol, influenced of your group or
subculture * ultimately, within all of those constraints * there
is still you. I believe that, because I am sitting here in this
chair, talking. I believe you are right you are, in the era that
you're in * reading. Even these can be uncertainties * but I
have to place my footing somewhere * even if it can be taken
away in an instant. What else can I do?
