New Things

New England Online has grown up a lot these last five years. Originally written as a means of salving the wounds of electoral defeat, it has changed in nature to become a treatise on the merits of traditional conservatism. That’s quite a leap, as I’m sure you can appreciate. But to be truthful, New England Online was always slightly more conservative in outlook than my pinko liberal beliefs might have been willing to admit. I am fortunate that this change in the political affiliation of the beast means very little of the content has had to be adjusted to suit.

For five years, the site has been intellectually confused. One can see this in the some of the stranger notions that existed in the earlier drafts. There was no marriage, yet national service was compulsory. A strong faith system was seen as essential, and yet the largest religious group were the largely godless Unitarians. These examples probably prove that despite my best intentions, the site was, and I suppose still is, without purpose. That raises the question, what is the raison d’être of this enterprise?

The philosophy of traditional conservatism provides the intellectual bedrock to the entire exercise. It gives me an opportunity to craft stories that are both entertaining, while at the same time providing a sound explanation and account of why traditional conservatism is the only way the build a prosperous society. But even more than this, having re-engaged my brain and found a philosophy that impels me to serve my God, my Queen and my Country, I find that my life is open to me again in a way that it has not been in many years. From such a sound place, the quality of the work I do here can only be improved.

As I mentioned in my last entry, there can be little doubt that New England Online has become a subversive influence on my life. Apart from burden that the website has placed on my long suffering fiancée and friends, it is telling that my interest in the affairs of the real world have taken a back seat to the affairs of the two and half million fictitious New Englanders of my imagination. Whatever I have taken an interest in has only been so because it might form the basis of a new page on the website. I think by anyone’s appraisal, that it a far from a healthy way to live one’s life.

But in the ten days so far of my four month mental holiday, I have come across a range of new things. As a reward for being prepared to think and explore, this afternoon came the first flowering of an intellectualism that has been dormant in my mind almost since I took up writing the behemoth in 2004. When you look at it, it is hard to argue that the apple hasn’t fallen too far from the tree just yet, but just the fact that ideas are finally reaching into my mind must surely be a source for celebration.

I have at last discovered new things.