I am definitely the type of person that likes to know what comes next. When planning for a vacation, I write up a packing list weeks in advance and plan out every little thing I’m going to do. When something new or exciting is coming, I research everything about it so I know exactly what to expect. I don’t like to leave things up to chance and I don’t like to be surprised. If I can, I want to know exactly what to expect when it comes to pretty much everything.

Unfortunately, that’s just not how life works. I am often surprised by what life throws at me. Sometimes I get good surprises, and sometimes I get ones that break my heart. But guess what? That’s ok! This life is a test and if we knew exactly what to expect all the time, then we wouldn’t be challenged to become better because we could plan for exactly what comes next. The real test of someone’s character is how they react when they are given an unanticipated trial. That is when all the planning you’ve done becomes useless and you have to rely on things you have learned from your past and what you have with you in your present. Yes, life can be hard, but Cicero advises that we must, “live as brave men; and if fortune is adverse, front its blows with brave hearts.”

Yes, it is more than okay to plan and to research about what is coming next. But we also have to remember that life often doesn’t go according to plan and if it doesn’t, then we must be brave and do our best amidst our trials. It is ok to not know what to expect, because that is when you will learn the most.

Yours truly,

Publius

I’m ashamed to admit I am just now realizing how long it has been since America Restored has had a new post. As my high school life ended and I began college and living a more independent life, my focus shifted to other projects and unfortunately it seems this blog got lost in all the craziness that comes with figuring out this new life.

However, in these past months I’ve had a chance to figure out what I want and where I stand. I had a chance to think about all that I had learned from my friends, parents, and teachers and what I wanted to do with the knowledge that I had gained. I’m still young and am just beginning my journey, but as I continue to read the words of those men who knew the truth about virtue and liberty and felt they had a duty to share that truth with the world, they continue to inspire me. When I began America Restored when I was 15, I felt that duty as well. I knew I was being given knowledge that needed to be shared. Now, nearly four years later, my knowledge has grown along with my desire to share it. I read over the words that I have written, both publicly and privately, over those four years and realize that I have always had that desire. My perspective has changed in the time I have been away from America Restored, but my motivation for writing has not.

As we all get older, we will gain more knowledge which in turn will lead us to new perspectives. This does not mean we should change our objectives if they are good, but maybe change the way we approach them. That knowledge that changes the way we see things could be the very thing we need to accomplish our goals.

Yours truly,

Publius