TheBigHenry Manifesto (rev.1)

TheBigHenry Manifesto (rev.1)
In which I address the question, "Why do you blog?"

"Cogito, ergo sum [I think, therefore I am]." — René Descartes

"I am, therefore timshel [I may]." — TheBigHenry

I ascribe significant value to structure in my life. Perhaps that is a manifestation of my OCD persuasion. Be that as it may, I think of my life having consisted of several stages so far:

1. Preschool (ages 0—3)
2. Schooling (ages 3—28)
3. Research (ages 28—60)
4. Retirement (ages 60—present)

It is obvious that my principal tool from birth to retirement had been my mind, which by most accounts served me well. Although some of my colleagues suggested I had lost it by retiring, I am inclined to believe that my mind is still intact. I plan to keep it that way.

In planning for my retirement, I understood that to optimize that stage of my life would require care and feeding of heart and mind — physical and mental exercise, in addition to a healthy diet. All three are important, of course, but for me the most interesting to contemplate has always been the mental exercise.

During my research stage, my mental exercise derived primarily from my work-related activities, and even from my favorite pastime, duplicate bridge. In my retirement, I needed to find a suitable alternative for my professional research. The operative word was "suitable".

Several aspects of intellectual activity are important components for my personal notion of a suitable mental exercise: reading; comprehending; analysis; writing; joking; musing; and documenting. All these and more are available through the publishing of a blog. I also derive satisfaction from the creative process of maintaining such a living and evolving document.

This is why I blog at Remembrance in Spacetime.

Post #775 TheBigHenry Manifesto (rev.1)