Salve(te)! Sum Pius Petrus! Otherwise known as Peter (PJ) Larson.
I have elected the blog option reluctantly, as my arcane habits lend more towards my personal method of journal keeping: handwritten Latin. I find anyone capable of deciphering my near fluent Latin writing as worthy to understand my private intellectual musings. Don't be mistaken by this, however, a major persona of mine is one of elitist intellectualism and arrogance. On a deeper level perhaps I am condoning of those who instead of dedicating their lives to pondering contribute a more practical perspective to society. Each person adds a new point of view if not to society at least to the lives of those around them. Tolerance is a natural prerequisite to enlightenment.
My primary reason for adopting an electronic medium for my journal is simply that my handwriting is not convenient to read, and it would not be a courteous gesture when given the option otherwise to subject a reader to such.
My favorite novel? Certainly that would be Brave New World. It has been in that place since I first read it summer of eighth grade. Before that I cannot place a memory of a novel I liked anything close to being deemed as a favorite. It's what opened my eyes to what it means to be human. If we read it this year, I will be a major contributor to class discussion (well, more so than usual).
In sophomore year for our penultimate project we got to do book groups, so not only did I organize one for Brave New World, but also started an empire and conquered other groups, coercing them into reading it as well. Eventually Mrs. Smith had to halt our expansion at half the class. (On a separate note, as you will see, Empire is the art for me).
I couldn't possibly even outline all of my thoughts on it here. I suppose what I shall say is that for me it demonstrates to us the fundamental question we all must ask ourselves in how much we are willing to compromise our quest for meaning and enlightenment for the comfort of denial and pleasure. But there is far more to it than that, it makes us consider what makes us truly human. Please accuse Huxley of elitism and resistance to change, but I think he was getting at things more deeply. I certainly agree on some level with the potentially elitist point that a life without art, science, and thought is not one worth living. It gives me directive to always make my life as rich and without platitude and conditioning as possible. In addition it helps with an exploration of the self, reminds us to question the base of our identity, whether it is conditioning we received as a child or genetic ingrained talent.
I am an outstanding presence, you will know me shortly as our year begins in a good way and I believe we will get along quite well. I look forward to continuing this electronic journal.
