I’ve been in the blogging game for a long time. Never really found much success in it, but when I was posting consistently I was getting a decent amount of eyes on what I considered very valuable to me: my poems, short stories, and general random quips and thoughts that came to me as a young college student.
As I’ve grown and matured I’ve sporadically added to that original blog, but it feels more like a time capsule now; a relic from a time that doesn’t fully represent who I am anymore, nor what I want to talk about.
And so here I am with what I consider to be a fresh start; a new, more singularly focused blog beyond just the musings of youth. A commentary on the greater world around us, digesting it through the eyes of an informed everyman, and processing it in a way that not only adds to the din of the rage inducing stream of the algorithm, but allows us to see a path and a way forward through the darkness.
I’m not prideful enough to think that I would be a beacon, but someone who humbly lights torches along the way.
The name of the blog also was carefully considered. In one very real aspect, Star Wars is a large part of my personality and upbringing, and so to be able to take one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite shows and utilize it for this purpose was a tremendous honor (shoutout to Tony Gilroy). Beyond that, though, is the beating heart of these writings.
I think that it has become incredibly easy to be crushed by the oppressive weight of bad just seeping into every discernible part of our lives, and in that light it’s easy to only focus on that. But you don’t rebuild on an unstable foundation. Uncertainty does not power a movement.
But HOPE can.
Hope allows us to dream beyond what is possible.
Hope gives us the strength to carry on in the face of defeat.
Hope is the spark that leads to the fire of change.
And so here at Built on Hope, the goal is to inspire and motivate, but also to knock down lies, manipulations, and bullies and bad actors.
Because Hope is not quiet or timid or ashamed. It is bold and risky and requires courage in the face of evil, ignorance, and greed.
I can’t promise that I’ll always get it right. But I can promise that I will always give it my best effort, fully authentic and fully informed as often as I can.
As I write this, it’s important to know that I’m also as big of a sports guy as I am a nerd. And my favorite basketball team, the New York Knicks, are in the midst of one of the greatest playoff runs of all time as they’ve reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
The reason why I mention this is because the mantra that has carried them this far is one that I think represents the purpose here well:
“Job’s not done”
There is no time to rest on our laurels and kick back while the world around us is scrambling around to sell off our society and humanity piece by piece. The job isn’t done. It likely never will be, but we must trudge and continue onward.
I don’t know how often you can expect to see my posts, but I’ve got a lot of time on my hands lately with paternity leave and summer vacation looming ahead of me. I hope you’ll follow me along on this new journey.
In the meantime, stay tuned, hold fast, and remember above all else —
— HOPE IS THE REBELLION
Built on Hope 