Import and Plan

In starting a blog, one is always on the search for the perfect name.  A name that sums up, in the briefest manner possible, the idea that the blog is to convey.  In naming this blog, The Righted Man, I hope that I have hit upon a title that suggests the intentions of this work to its fullest.

Certainly, the "man" in the title suggests that the intended readership of this blog is for men, though not exclusively.  And, it goes without saying that I am a man and that the "man" also refers to me.  However, the "man" is also the male in general.  The man of faith.  The man of society.  The man of culture.

The "Righted" is the biggest part of the title.  The "righted" refers, on one level, to the idea that I stand on the so-called right.  I am mostly conservative in my thoughts and actions (certainly politically) and my tone should echo this sentiment.  Further, the act of being righted is to be corrected; to be turned from error and to be given truth.  This is not to say that I am the one doing the correcting.  Rather, it is my hope that I might stimulate discussion (or perhaps meditations) that will further ignite and grow others' search for the truth (this includes my own continuing search and study for truth).  Finally, the act of being righted also refers to the act of reversing a capsized ship or vessel.  Our earthly bodies are vessels themselves and house the Holy Spirit.  The imagery of righting a capsized vessel parallels very well, I think, with our own lives and certainly that of my own.  I find this to be a wonderful illustration of my journey to the Catholic Faith.  In becoming Catholic I have been "righted."  The image does not stop there though and neither does our continuing resolve to "right" ourselves to the will of our Heavenly Father.  And so, this image refers to the single act itself of actually becoming Catholic and also to the continual and lifelong act of growing in our faith and becoming more Christ-like.

This blog will be both personal and public.  I will be sharing bits of my own personal life but also plan to discuss larger societal issues.  I intend to dive into a diverse selection of topics, those that I am most passionate about: my faith, my family, literature, society, and life.  I pray that through this creative endeavor I might plumb the depths of myself and truly learn who I am meant to be.  I pray that in some small way, at least, I may be able to stir in the hearts of my peers the hunger and passion for our faith that we must possess if we are to stand together against the host of evil that preys upon our lives and the lives of our families and neighbors.  And I pray that the men of my generation will take a stand and reclaim what it means to truly be a man.