Depending on who you listen to, our planet has existed for between 6000 years and 4 billion years. Strict Creationists believe the former, while sentient beings believe the latter. For you strict creationists, there’s nothing here for you to see . . . move along.

Man, in his current configuration, has been around for about 100,000 years. You Mayans think the world is going to end in December of 2012, and strict creationists think it’s any minute now for the “End of Days.” You sentients, well, I’ll say you think another 100,000 years, at least, for man.

For our discussion today, we’ll let modern math tell us 200,000 years is the period to be covered. Life expectancy is in the 70s, now. That’s 70 years for a person’s turn among those 200,000. Not much, when you put it that way. Frankly, that is how you should put it, and everything you do, everything you think, everything you think of doing, should be in that context. Pretty insignificant in the overall scheme of things, so every moment of those years ought to matter, ought to be meaningful, savored like a fine and perfectly ripe piece of fruit, treasured and measured mindfully.

All of you who do that, please raise your hands . . . hold on, not so much there, most of you. M. Scott Peck in his book “The Road Less Traveled” reckoned about 3% end up “getting it” before they grab their hat (on the way out, if you’re not familiar with the phrase – - a favorite of a friend’s father). I think Scott was being generous at 3%, actually.

It’s hard sometimes to rise above the din of conformity these days. Political correctness reached its critical mass a while ago, it seems, and when zero tolerance is blended in with it, a person is hard-pressed to know what’s safe to say or do anymore. Parents’ precious “little snowflakes” should all get medals, and no one ever should come in second. No one is American anymore, notwithstanding the fact they might have been born in America – - it’s African-American, thank you, and Irish-American, and Native American, and Asian-American. Seems that mothers had very wide stances straddling oceans while giving birth in the next preceeding decades.

These words are for you 3%, those of you who recognize, appreciate and value the differences between and among us all, who treasure growth born of hard work and mindful living, and who, like Joseph Campbell (college professor, prolific author, great mind of the 20th century), believe that life has no meaning – - rather, we give our lives meaning by the way in which we choose to live them.

Relish our differences, don’t be afraid to point them out or to learn from them. These pages are going to be filled over time with thoughts and observations on them, reactions to everyday occurrences, and occasionally caustic comments about those who wish to make everyone the same. I know . . . you’re asking yourself why. I guess it’s just that I enjoy railing against the setting of the sun. If you have thin skin, don’t come back. It’s not always going to be pretty here . . . or nice. Hopefully, though, it will be witty and provocative. Or at least semi-witty.

We’ll see.