I’m a creative person — a free-spirited, independent-minded, compassionate man who has spent my entire adult life attempting to carve out an existence in a society that rewards the seven deadly sins and punishes virtue.  And I am fed up.

I do not apologize for rejecting corporate fascism.  On fundamental levels, I disagree with the stifling, homogenous, shallow materialism espoused by the corporate infrastructure.  I do not believe in the exploiting of cheap labor, the pillaging of natural resources, and the shirking of civic responsibility that too many companies embrace.  I do not agree with the rigging of markets, the undermining of democratic processes, and the eroding of personal liberties pushed by these monoliths.  I will not serve such a system and do not apologize for it.

I do not apologize for pursuing my creative ambitions.  I am a writer, a storyteller.  That’s who I am.  I will not tolerate any human being disparaging my efforts because I haven’t yet seen financial success from them.  If your life is so shallow that you can only measure a life’s quality in monetary terms, then I pity your profound lack of humanity.  I pity your misfortune at always having to chase more and more and more because that path has no bottom, no fulfillment, no nourishment, no sustainability.  The path to self-contentment lies not in how much shiny, useless stuff you can accumulate, but in what you do for others.  That wisdom was discovered long before me, and time and history have proven it right more than once.  I will remain true to myself, to whatever end, and I will not apologize for it.

I do not apologize for the way I work.  You will never see 99% of what I do because all of that takes place between my ears.  When I seem completely detached from the world, lost in a dream, distracted from the daily chores around me, that’s when I’m working my hardest because my mind is crafting something new.  I refuse to allow anyone to criticize my processes because the proof is in what I’ve created.  My reviews speak for themselves; my readers have reinforced my convictions.  Just because you cannot see the gears moving does not mean they are not in motion.  I work damned hard at what I do, and I do not apologize for how I do it.

I do not apologize for attempting to give back to my community.  Yes, at this point, I am frustrated beyond words with the educational system.  Yes, I am leaving the profession for good because I can no longer endure the encroaching corporate takeover.  But I do not apologize for sharing my knowledge with others, for attempting to improve and enrich other people’s lives, for living a life that has been dedicated to more than just my own selfish interests.  At the end of the day, I have helped fellow human beings achieve their goals, not lined the pockets of greedy billionaires, and I damn sure do not apologize for it.

I am fed up with people and a society so blinded by greed and selfishness that they are tearing down the greatest beacon of liberty ever to shine on this earth.  I am fed up with those who have more than they need looking down their noses and criticizing those of us who don’t, not because we don’t try but because our efforts are not duly rewarded.  I am fed up with self-righteous, elitist assholes with a staggering sense of entitlement believing as long as something is legal it is also moral.  You better believe, that house cards is about to come crashing down.  I am far from perfect, but I am a decent human being who works hard, sacrifices more than you will ever know for his children, and lives life on my own terms, and I do not apologize for any of it.