The Fool’s Manifesto
I have to admit, I did once own a houpelande. But the sleeves were annoying.
Consider this fair warning:
I am a Fool in pretty much every sense of the word.
I do not dress in the traditional fool’s motley. I am currently wearing a Three Wolf T-shirt which is more awesome than foolish, you’ll have to admit. I do not own a hat with bells. And I don’t caper…ever. Though I have been known to skip when in the company of my six-year-old daughter, but only when the moment requires.
Fool Cred.
No, my Fool cred is something I have earned with a lifetime of bad puns (thanks, Dad!), half-finished projects, stillborn game designs, and a dilettante’s affection for the new and shiny. I am a Jack-of-all-trades… well, a Jack-of-many-trades at least, and I am most certainly a Master-of-none. I have been many things in my life: an actor, a musician, an artist, a teacher, an author, a poet, a programmer, a rodeo clown…okay, maybe not a rodeo clown, but wouldn’t that be a cool thing to be able to put in a list? My point is that I have a wealth of experience in many different fields. I try things, see how they fit, and then forget about them a day later. Some might call that flaky. Some might be right. I make no claims of being anything awesome. In fact, if you’ll recall, I am the one who said I was a fool. Check the title of this post and/or the first sentence if you doubt me.
So why am I admitting to this foolishness?
Because, dear reader (and I know there’s at least one of you out there), I want to be completely honest about what you can expect from this blog. I am no expert. I am no novice. I know just enough to be dangerous, and yet I know too little to have a dogmatic opinion. I find things like online games or websites, and I talk about them. When I say “this sucks” it simply means that I don’t like it. If I say “this is awesome,” well, I would check it out anyway, just in case. Don’t want to be the last person to know about it, do you? I’m not going to pretend to be the Final Judge for anything. My mind is open. I walk toward the precipice with my eyes on the clouds, a flower in my hand, and an awesome three wolf T-shirt on my chest.
I will be describing the scenery on the way down.
Tags: Commentary, fools, manifesto, thoughts
Thank you for all the petals you’ve dropped in my garden.
My pleasure!
Good stuff Jack. I’m looking forward to what you have to say since we are both fools and I will probably agree with most of what you post. Good luck and God speed! What the hell does that really mean?
Even if you don’t agree, I do hope you share your thoughts. I’m always open to new perspectives, and many times I miss something that is obvious to somebody else. My opinions aside, I hope that this blog can be more of a “Hey, check this out” kind of thing.
I’m stuck on the the three wolf T-shirt, do you by any chance howl?
Consider this your warning, Ines. Don’t request the howl. It isn’t pretty…
oh, come on! I want to hear it! skype? or podcast?
I only howl when singing along to “Werewolves of London.”
Ah-oooooo!
I agree and sadly the word “expert”, even if you actually ARE one, is getting a bad rap now-a-days. I am so glad I now know about the three wolf t-shirts! I am a better person for it now! LOL ( I am a fan on Three Dog Night, personally)
Perhaps if I wear the three-wolf shirt while listening to Three Dog Night I could finally figure out why Jeremiah always had such good wine when he was just a frog. I mean, where does a frog get wine? The most I ever got from picking up a frog was some frog pee in my hand. But then, maybe you have to be good friends with them first…
you rock, bro. and I don’t use either term loosely.
Thanks, Amy!
You know, I have a sister named Amy who lives in SF. Say “Hi” to her if you see her.
Awesome Jack! It’s rare to find the genius (by no means fool….) that will admit they don’t know everything! In a world of way too many claiming to be the best and the expert it’s refreshing to see someone that calls it like it is!
I do, however, echo Ines’s question….Do you howl?
Chris, let me say what Jack will not, but clearly demonstrates. He’s one of the most creative people I’ve ever met in my life. This new series of post will be awesome. It will be his howl and it will be very pretty.
Thanks, Jeff. I think you may just have been dazzled by my three-wolf shirt, though.
I stand by my accusation.
Chris, I have been known to howl at coyotes every now and then. And there may have been a time or two in my younger years, out at Joshua Tree after three too many beers…but those days are a blur.
As for “genius” I must decline the acclaim. Geniuses tend to specialize, and I have spread myself too thin to excel in any one area. But I’m okay with that. There is so much to learn about I would need a thousand lifetimes just to become good at everything I want to try. And then there is the fact that when it comes time to learn a new language, or paint, or read up on a new technology, I would much rather be playing with my daughter instead.
But I thank you for the kind words.
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