“O Captain! My Captain”

seem to be the words that are flowing from me the easiest since I started writing this introductory piece about myself. I hate writing about myself. I like to think most people do, except for the few vain ones amongst us (and I’m sure we all know a person or two with that charming quality).

I thought “O Captain! My Captain” would be the best first words for me to write for two reasons – one, I find it kind of, comically ironic to start of what is supposed to be an article about myself with another writers words - at least I find it funny. And two, one of the ways I procrastinated writing this article was to watch, for the first time, the movie Dead Poet Society. Great movie. And a shock to myself and probably many other people I know that I haven’t seen the pivotal movie about an English teacher until the final year in college pursuing an English degree. The late, great Robin Williams as an unorthodox English teacher trying to teach his intellectually stalled teenage students to “seize the day” was right up my alley, I think. Those kids didn’t know what they wanted to do in life, were bored with the mundane act of growing up, and were just trekking through life. Just trying to please the people around them. Figuring it out as they go along. Trying to prove something– Perfect. That’s me!

Truth be told, I don’t know what I’m doing. And for anyone who has been in there twenties this mindset is not a shock. But, I find it better to say that upfront now because that’s what my writings will reflect. I don’t know what I’m going to write from one week to the next. If anything, reading my work will be an intellectual bumpy train ride nonetheless, muddled with inconsistences and lacking in any central theme – and for that apologize in advance. I may write seriously one week and humorous the next, I don’t know. Trial and error. An experiment. That’s what Odyssey is going to be for me.

This will be my first time ever writing to an audience… of ANY kind. So whether I’m writing to 20 people, or just my dad who is probably reading this out of parental obligation, it doesn’t matter. I could be clichéd and say that what and how I write doesn’t really matter and I don’t care who reads it...but that would be bullshit – coming from me anyways. I would like people to read my writings; otherwise, I don’t see much of a point in doing it, if I’m being honest. But, I also wouldn’t be devastated if nobody reads my work either. This is a good first example of my paradoxical thought process. I apologize for that as well.

Some of the best writers in the world have always said, write for you, which was easy for people like Fitzgerald and Hemingway to say, I’m sure.

Bottom line, this is going to be a new thing for me to do, just as it will be for you to read. I don’t know where I’m heading or what I’m going to do when I get there, but until then, enjoy!

Carpe diem!

Connor Dobson