IT'S MY BIRTHDAY AND I'LL BLOG IF I WANT TO!

Hi, everybody! Today is my birthday. I don’t have to tell any of you original Monster Kids what another year feels like – physically, that is. What I can tell you is how weird it is having a body that’s turning into the likes of a cousin to Kharis with a mind that’s as sharp as a werewolf when the autumn moon is bright. It wouldn’t seem any fairer if it were the other way around, either. Consequently, it makes me wonder about the importance of that proverbial phrase: “make the most out of life while you can.”

This has all got me thinking about why I spend time on things like this blog. Well, I’ll tell you why.

First, it allows me to participate in leaving something behind in the way of a legacy, historical or otherwise, of a moment in time that influenced not only me, but popular culture as a whole in a significant way. Pop culture, if you haven’t guessed, is a huge influence on how people think, act, and, most importantly, spend their time and money. Remember, many Monster Kids from the day went on to shape the style and substance of the entertainment industry, most notably horror and science fiction films.

Second, along with playing music, it allows me the space to disentangle myself from the worries and problems of the day-to-day world. Some may call it checking out of reality; I call it therapy.

The last reason is the most selfish of all – it’s because I want to! For some inexplicable reason (even though I just did my best to explain it), I feel compelled to share my experiences from this period of my life, and in some strange way, reconcile it with the present. I don’t think it particularly needs justifying, but motivation is always good to understand.

Now, before you go and try to analyze me, I think it was Freud who said something to the effect of: “Sometimes a tentacle is just a tentacle” or something close. In this case, I fancy myself as part historical conservator and part hopeless pop culture junkie. I have spent the last several years as a member in S.T. Joshi’s Esoteric Order of Dagon, otherwise known as the H.P. Lovecraft Amateur Press Association. If there ever was a body of individuals – both armchair and academic – that have explored and extracted the minutest details of a historical figure’s life, it’s these guys. Having some of my own research published alongside today’s preeminent Lovecraft scholars has been a proud accomplishment.

So, has this all been a monumental waste of time? I think not. Along the way, I have got to know a number of people, even made some friends. All-in-all, I feel like I have, in some way, contributed – like a lot of bloggers -- to the collective time capsule of our society. It may not be all about the advancements of science, the arts, or industry, but it does have something to do with the human aspects of friendships, sharing, and the desire to preserve a part of our cultural heritage. This may sound all lofty and high-handed, but, hey – it’s what I came up with at the moment. After all, it’s my birthday and I’ll blog if I want to!