Introduction

I think that in any given field, there are few people who can honestly claim to know EVERYTHING there is to know about said field. There are some fields that are so vast that even the most knowledgable cannot understand it all. Many spend their entire lives focused and devoted to learning and gaining skill.

I am NOT one of those people.

I know a very very small amount of very few things. I've had a wide range of interests over the years and have enjoyed poking at the edges of many topics. Some, I've delved much more deeply, but never for any particular length of time. My wife tells me I'm a hoarder of ideas and projects.

Welcome to my newest idea and project!

Here's the thing: I've been alive for 40 years now. I've lived in the United States for the entirety of that time. I'm a citizen, my parents and grandparents are citizens. I'm about as American as you can get. I just did a quick scan of the USCIS Civics Questions. I think I would pass, but depending on the questions asked, it could be close. As a natural born citizen, that's probably not a good thing.

So it's time to fix that.

One of my goals for the next year is to spend more time understanding the government of the country I live in. I want to know the history, the conversations, the hard choices we've made to bring us to where we are now. I want to understand WHY and HOW of the workings. I think a lot of other people out there also want to know these things, but don't want to take the time. There's SO MUCH to know and learn.

And I'm bringing you along! Why? A couple reasons.

First, accountability. If I have a blog, I know I'll be more likely to write and post. Even if no one reads my ramblings, it's a forcing mechanism to get my to think. Second, I think others are in the same boat as me. Many people want to know more about the world and the government they live under. There's so much to learn and sometimes its just overwhelming. Last, and maybe most important, it'll foster discussion and communication. Maybe I'll learn something, maybe you'll learn something, but together we can learn together.

Welcome to this new project. I hope that it will bring all of us some amount of value.