Welcome

This is a series of open letters to my children.  Anyone that wants insight into my ideas or reflections (which will almost certainly be unoriginal and only marginally inspiring) is welcome to it, but I will not post links or otherwise solicit readers.  You are here at your own invitation.

I have long sought my 'purpose', my unique contribution to the world.  Over the years I have settled upon a variety of different conclusions on how my time be best invested for mankind, the world, science, or the universe (my aspirations have never lacked ambition!): create, create beauty, pursue beauty, savor indulgences, understand as much about the world as possible, chart an unknown realm for science....

My aims are more modest now.  This is due in part to declining hubris, or perhaps to a realization of the wider expanse of everything beyond my sphere of existence.  In any event, I have come to appreciate that the most important contribution I can really make is to teach my children.  Teaching my children is the one endeavour for which the sum of my life experiences and limited wisdom makes me uniquely qualified.  I am probably more interested in the outcome of this endeavour than anyone else in the world, with the possible exception of Jodee.

I cannot make my children learn.  There are many things that I do not and will likely never know, and thus cannot teach.  But there are many things that I have learned, insights that I've had, beauty that I've glimpsed, that are worth offering to my children.

So I begin these chautauquas for my children in they hope that they somehow profit from them.  If nothing else, I hope they see that the best we can ever do is to teach those who crave of understanding.