Yes, It Has Actually Happened.....I Have a Blog!

First off, I'd like to say a huge hello to the world of bloggers and bloggees out there that I am reaching for the very first time.  Whether our blogging time together lasts 2 days or 2 centuries (I'm pretty optimistic about the future of medical capabilities), there's a few things I need you to understand about me first.

List of things I need you to know about me:

1.) I fully admit, accept, and concede that I am not perfect. None of us are. If you think you are, we can't be friends.  I have made mistakes in my life. I have made bad decisions. I haven't gotten it right 100% of the time.  But I do have a pretty darn good track record in life and work hard to keep it that way. I self-reflect....ALOT!  With that said, I'd say I've got about a .933 batting average in the game of life.  When you consider a pro baseball player is regarded as god-like when they cross the .300 threshold, I think I do ok for myself!

2.) I do not know everything, nor do I claim to.  But I do know a lot, and so do a lot of other people.

3.) I am an only child (unless my parents have lied to me for almost 31 years....well actually more like 24 years, I don't think the topic came up much in our early conversations).  With that said, I need you to know that my life has been shaped within the context of being an only child.  Does it mean I'm selfish? No.  Does it mean I know less than people with siblings? No.  Does it mean I know more than people with siblings?  No.  Does it mean I'm better than people with siblings? No.  So, what does it mean?  It means I grew up sometimes playing civil war by myself.  Yes, sometimes I was the Confederates, sometimes I was the Union Army. It also means that from an early age, when I found someone that I felt was worthy enough to let into my little circle of solitude, I did so with the understanding that there would be an unwavering level of mutual trust.  So far, I have not been disappointed........with people admitted into the circle anyway. To some extent, I still utilize this model of relationship-building today.

4.)  Now to thoroughly confuse you with what I just described in #3, I am a very (and I mean VERY!),  welcoming person.  I engage every new person I encounter with initial trust, with the hope that they will reciprocate the same trust with me.  I have found this can be an enticing opportunity for others to try to take advantage of my "trustyness".  Don't do that....it's naughty, it's mean, and I will most likely blacklist you on my "DO NOT EVER GRANT MEMBERSHIP ACCESS IN THE CIRCLE OF SOLITUDE" list.

5.) Now to COMPLETELY confuse you!  Confuse you more than anyone has ever been confused before in the history of confusion!!  I am an ambivert......you don't know what that is?!?! (good grief what are they teaching in schools these days!!)  I am an extroverted introvert (Say what???).  Deep inside my thoughts and my soul, there is an Alpha personality saying GO JON!... GO!...DOMINATE THE PLANET!!!  But then unfortunately the introverted part of my persona gets tired of being around people and needs to go watch tv alone for a little bit to recharge itself.  Sounds like I'm some sort of socially awkward hermit right?  Wrong!  I genuinely enjoy socializing, but I'm almost always in some sort of deep philosophical thought. When I'm not talking, I'm thinking.   When I'm trying to think and my extroverted surroundings disrupt my thinking, I get agitated and want to be by myself.  That's all.  Not anti-social.  Not a loner.  Not a weirdo (ok I may be a little bit of a weirdo). You just be nice to me and all the other ambiverts our there,  because one day, we're going to rule this world!  What this boils down to is I keep close company with a few genuine, trusted, and vetted friends.  If you are just another person fleeting in and out of my life, don't expect us to braid each other's hair and talk about clothes.

6.)  Despite how all of this may sound so far, I am not a selfish jerk.  I truly care about helping other people succeed in life.  In fact, I will go the full mile (figurative miles, not measurable distance...duh) for anyone I come across that proves to me they are deserving. I shatter the stereotype of the whole only child thing. I am genuinely compassionate about other people, their needs, and their struggles.  I've been a volunteer firefighter for almost two decades.............so there!

7.)  I want to make the world a better place before I die, help me figure out how.

8.) I love my parents, even though I don't say it enough.

9.)  I love my dog Axle, and I say it too much.  [No....seriously though.....I would take a bullet for him.......(DON'T. MESS. WITH. MY. DOG!!!) except for playing soccer with him, he loves playing soccer]

10.)  In future blog posts, I'm going to say some things that you may not agree with, you may not like to hear, and you may wish I hadn't said.  That's fine...relax....we're still gonna be cool.  I'm just going to exercise that wonderful 1st amendment right given to us by the freaking amazing founding fathers of our great country.  I encourage you to do the same.  I won't like everything you say either.....but I'll sure respect your right to say it!

That's it....... Those are the things I need you to know about me..............Well, also......I'm a little bit nerdy and weird, and I have a very unhealthy desire to become a real-life Batman.  Please start a Go-Fund-Me page to help me get enough capital to build a real Batsuit, tools/weapons, and something that resembles a BatCave.


Ok bloggettes, we did it.  My first blog post.  Please, please, please come back soon and bring your friends.  I have plenty more to say.

-Jon