I am a deep thinker about trivial things and a trivial thinker about deep things. Occasionally, I think deeply about deep things, but I try to report the results with the humility I think they deserve. What matters to me is perspective. I believe that knowledge from one discipline can unlock unexpected insights in another, and I am always drawn to the surprising connections between ideas.
I deeply respect expertise, but I also believe that thoughtful novices can ask the kinds of questions that experts sometimes overlook. If an idea is honest and well considered, I want to hear about it, no matter where it comes from.
I spent the earliest part of my life navigating the city before moving to a working-class suburb. In my adolescence, I played sports, read books, and drove around with my friends a lot, talking about everything from pretty girls to relativity and everything in between.
I joined the Air Force when I was 21 and spent four years on active duty before moving to Vermont. As a grown-up, I have worked in law enforcement, finance, intelligence, safety and security, coaching, training, emergency management, and a host of other roles.
My formal education includes criminal justice, finance, political science, intelligence, homeland security, project management, and pedagogy. But my informal education comes from paying attention in social situations, listening to people when they speak, noticing patterns, and trying to keep an open mind.
I love my wife and kids, my dogs, and my time alone when I can reflect on what is happening in the world, in my life, or just in my brain at that moment.
I do not think that any of my ideas are particularly praise-worthy, but I have been encouraged to share what I know and what I think. Hopefully, by doing so, I will get some feedback that ignites further contemplation.
Concentric Ripples is a way for me to think out loud and listen closely for anything that might come back.
