INTRO

In every discussion someone asks, “What is the truth?” It’s a vital question, but the answer depends on who is asked and that’s a problem. Believe it or not, truth isn’t a variable. So, where do we find the provable facts and the unbiased objectivity we all want – who is the trustworthy authority? As you are probably well aware, no such thing exists. Gaps in our knowledge base, cultural biases, arrogance, stupidity, even poor leadership, can be blamed but the reality doesn’t change. Truth is elusive and contentious. Growing older we learn to accept this absence, to suck it up, take our best guess and move on, hoping decisions based on incomplete or faulty information won’t harm us too badly. Painfully, for some, taking a best guess is not an option.

There are anal individuals in this world who simply must know everything - the picky paranoids, serial doubters, and suspicious disbelievers, who can’t sleep at night because something doesn’t make sense in a world where very little makes sense - people like me. As distressing as this is, I have survived my obsession thanks in part to having a close circle of friends who are plain spoken and unrepentantly critical, but still supportive. In addition, I happen to be one of those few fortunate souls actually able to search for answers. Middle class, well educated, solid family life, financially stable, even good health - as embarrassing as it may be not much has been denied me in the great scheme of things. At times I was even provided resources to indulge my fixation. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not rich or pampered, far from it, but I have been presented with opportunities during my long life and I used them.

Did I find new truths? The easy answer is “not many” but I blame that on misdirection. It turns out the concepts I was searching for already existed, only, so buried under layers of pure bafflegab as to be deeply disguised. In time, I managed to dredge a few or these truths from beneath their camouflage, hose the sludge off, and prop them up in full view. Whether they are recognizable to others is yet to be determined.

Discovering truths can be very disorienting, especially when they become entwined with untruths. They can be too real in a world where reality is often humiliating and distasteful. Nevertheless, as has been previously stated, truth is not a variable, our only option is either take it or leave it. When altered, it ceases to be the truth.