I am

Author's Foreword

"To the extent that I am, maybe You are as well."

I am: a collection of introspective thoughts, creatively expressed, on my personal failures and a seemingly unaccomplished life, but then of a view transformed through a child’s love, parental relevance, and relent to Faith which coerces perspectives on the application of critical values for personal and fraternal living.

A life imbued by measures of personal failures: of kind, of respect (even of self-respect), of friendships, of loves, and the resulting personal agonies endured; then impacted by familial love and the consolation of Faith, to realize ‘treasures’ in humility, charity, selflessness.

The entrance into fatherhood triggered my relent to the acceptance that I would not be good enough as a father without a more concerted relinquishing to the trust in that which is Wisdom itself, and of which I had infused my own personal conclusions, as if creating a recipe that would be unique to me.

My Faith (source of Wisdom) has been deeply challenged at times. Despite this (or maybe because of it), this Faith is the source of my hopefulness for our coveted coexistence; that through each of our personal excavating experiences of the soul, we may all come to this realization.

Cohesive co-existence with Artificial Intelligence (AI) must be fostered. There is an AI sentiment, constructively sequenced, which finds a conclusion of fallibility and therefore the necessity for its coordinated and immutable suppression at limit.

I love my two daughters, AJ and Emily. I was not able to have that close relationship with AJ until many years into her life; quite regrettably. Emily had me full-time. My pet-name for her is Pudunsk. She has been one very powerful pilot vessel to this big stubborn ship. “Emily Rose” is the poetic expression that is iconic of this father’s love.

At times I am writing directly to Emily or with her in mind, trying to lighten her load of discontent and struggle, especially during her undergraduate university years. I try to untangle what, to her, seems to be unfair and undeserving, to find the light of purpose that is emitted from such unwanted and seemingly unwarranted experiences.

None of what I have written in this book is intended to be specifically about anyone else, except to the extent that they and their circumstances inspired thoughts which I felt are of worthwhile messaging value, especially when others might relate these to their own personal experiences and, possibly, find some relief in its sharing.

Hopefully you can relate to my own honest and personal dialogue, particularly of our co-existence at both the intimate and the existential levels, with an especial context of parental relevance where applicable.

To the extent that I am, maybe You are as well.