What I’ve Learned Through One Year of 4 for Now

Featured image: Photo by JFunk on Shutterstock. Edited in Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo. For the post audio, see the YouTube video.

 
 

4 for Now

When I started the nonfiction arm of my blog (effectively abandoning my fiction writing for the time being), my goal was to share important things I’d learned with other folks who felt the desire to know more but felt they didn’t have the time to read full articles or books.

In just one year, I’ve touched upon topics ranging from Thanksgiving and Black History Month to privilege and colonization. From capitalism and the political spectrum to my personal beliefs and struggles that drive me.

But what kept me writing for a whole year? (By the way, this is my longest consecutive blogging streak ever, so it’s a big deal for me.)

  • I love to learn. And I love to share. And while I find joy in fiction, there’s something about the desire to pass on knowledge that’s motivated me more than sharing in the adventure of a fantastic tale.
  • Addressing the topics I have addressed this past year has helped me connect some dots, so to speak. As I assume many people do, I’ve picked up bits of information from conversations, headlines, snippets of news … But when the whole of my knowledge on, say, politics is “Republican = conservative, Democrat = liberal,” it’s hard to carry on a conversation, let alone make informed decisions.
  • Purposely delving into topics that affect the world today has helped paint a fuller picture for me. I see clearer than ever what’s happening and can better figure out what my place in it all is.

Looking forward

I hope to continue my learning/teaching streak as I explore new and unfinished topics.

Some topics I want to delve into more:

  • Colonization of/by particular countries: expect the occasional profile on countries who have been colonized, or on empires and how they grew (and in the best cases, fell).
  • Truths about US history: I’ve talked about Thanksgiving and the real story about that lost and obviously confused Genoese explorer, but there is so much more history that we whitewash before cramming down the throats of our schoolchildren.
  • Expanding my antiracism coverage: I’ve written several posts about anti-Black racism. But we all know it doesn’t end there. I’d like to address other forms of racism in the US, including that against Asians (Western, Central, and Eastern), Central and South Americans, and Native Americans.

And as always, if there’s anything specific you’d like me to cover, connect with me.

Thank You!

I know this is a modest little blog with an intimate readership, but I’m not in this to gain a huge following or notoriety. I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read one of my posts, and if I can reach even just a few people, I believe I’ve made a difference, whether to confirm a suspicion, teach something new, spark a curiosity, or whatever your reason for reading.

A blue dinosaur and a red dinosaur in party hats stand on a yellow surface in front of a darker yellow wall. There are yellow curled ribbons and rainbow confetti. Dark teal text says, "Thank you for reading!"
Photo by JFunk on Shutterstock.