Authority figure

My issues with authority are well documented here. Whether it be with my managers at work, the people who run our country, or even god itself, I have few kind words to express about those in charge. I have plenty of other words to express and on any given day you may find me expressing them here. These are some very pointed words. And the reason you may find me expressing them here is because every morning, without fail, for almost 5 years now, there has been, in this very space, a short essay, diatribe, shaggy dog story, digression, memoir, sly or ridiculous joke, satirical mocking, or bit of wisdom carefully hidden into a small puzzle so that it won't hurt me while I'm handling it. And so writing every single day, it's bound to come up.

Who makes me do this?

Sure, most of the time I quite enjoy doing it merely for itself. Sometimes I really can't help myself doing it. Often enough I just do it because it's what I am now. But when I am sick, or going off on vacation for a couple weeks, or crabby, or would rather play a video game, or could be upstairs drinking some nice wine with my wife on New Year's Day, but instead go down into my freezing basement for an hour because it is required, it strikes me that I might like to know who is this tyrant who compels me to still come up with my daily epistle?

This remorseless editor, this figure that demands without surcease, this bossman pounding his fist into his hand, this parent, priest, lord, and Captain. Who is it that demands I write here everyday? I need to know who this relentless Authority is that rules over me like a God!




It's me.



Although I like to think I'm just being pleasantly firm.