At our last meeting, I was pegged as optimistically unrealistic about the future (dare I say, charmingly so) because I believe that the world isn’t rotting in the toilet of some cosmic, trucker rest stop bathroom.

This isn’t entirely true. I think that things could go either way. Or, rather, all ways. I do believe that — though things look bleaker than I ever imagined possible — the fight has yet to be called. All it takes is a sea change in global and national priorities for things to turn around. Granted, this is no small feat but it’s been known to happen throughout history when situations become untenable — much like now.

I do contend that things are better now than they ever have been. Yes, mostly for the rich and/or the white, but the problems being fixed in the priviledged community could theoretically be distributed to all people should things become more egalitarian in the future, which I think is inevitable.

The exchange of ideas today is not only far more widespread, but instantaneous. Human creativity has accelerated past anyone’s ability to measure or anticipate it, and it’s here that I place my faith in civilization. You can still debate whether or not humans are a virus to an otherwise healthy organism, or a unique type of life yet to reach equilibrium with its environment. But I believe the race as a whole has shown an increase in survivability over thousands of years, and that this survival has selected — and will continue to select — traits that are morally virtuous.

Even if a person’s rights are ignored or violated, at least the social consensus in a large part of the world is that they have those rights to begin with. This is a very recent development and we’re still working it out, but I think that ultimately we will. And I think we will before a nuclear holocaust. But maybe I just like to sleep at night.

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Like many before me I want to make something out of nothing.

More specifically (not really), a vehicle for energies that otherwise evaporate throughout the day. A fulfillment of a promise I made to myself in more certain, idealistic times. A salve to an amorphous discontent that seems to feed on routine and comfortable decisions.

And so Hesitating is born. Though it is mostly my creation, I hope that it will grow beyond the ownership of any single contributor. I have my reasons and agendas for participating in the website, but they need not be yours. Mostly I just hope that everyone has fun and finds something rewarding they can get out of the project.

I’m happy to provide direction if you’d like to contribute something but you’re not sure what. I’m also looking forward to receiving direction from those who read and participate if they think something sucks or they think something could be better.

Ideally, Hesitating will become an umbrella of sorts under which many different creative endeavors could live — music, visual art, fiction, non-fiction and whatever else. But for now it’s just a barely breathing blog.

As a contributor, what you can expect from me are things that I wish had been written, or my attempts to point out the pink elephants in the room that I think are making people’s lives worse. I’m excited to see what all you brilliant people come up with and what this evolves into. Here we go….

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In the Internet Age, the world gets smaller and smaller, while egos get bigger and bigger.

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