Filter

February 19th, 2021

I am a tool.

I’ve finally finished curating the essays I’m going to include in my upcoming collection, Time is a Solid State. I’ve received so many nice comments and messages from people who appreciate my writing, and reading my work from the past five years as a whole like this allows me to give a begrudging admission: I kind of get it.

But it also gives me a certain clarity about what I am.

I am not brilliant. I am not a genius, technical or otherwise. I am not an expert in any field or trade. I am, in fact, deeply flawed.

But I am a very good filter.

I have been exposed to exceptional people and extraordinary ideas. I am always learning and seeking and digging for the truths of human existence. The way that I aim my lens and then develop those thoughts and feelings with language is the unique thing I do.

To be honest, I both always wanted to do a book of my posts and also wasn’t sure if there was any material that was worth the paper. As I find myself having to cut so much away, I’ve realized that it’s all there and more.

I pour my everything into these words I share on the internet for free. Because of that, they find a way to continue to mean something.

I am a filter, a tool, that distills big ideas and enormous emotions in an attempt to hijack the normal state of online behavior and instill genuine connection, empathy, and understanding.

And if that’s not worth publishing with my name written on it, then I can’t think of a thing that is.