Hello,

My name is Joshua Michael De Lany and it has been that ever since the day I was born. I am not going to lie to you about my privileged upbringing, because I know what it means to not have privilege as well. I was raised in a predominantly white upper-class neighborhood in norther California just east of Oakland. To put things into perspective monetarily, when my parents got divorced and sold my childhood home, it went for close to a million dollars and was one of the “cheapest” properties I had ever seen sell in the area. Based on my life experiences up to this point, my childhood was very normal for an upper middle-class boy like I was. I had anything and everything I wanted from a very early age so I have struggled with ownership and worth of material things my entire life, I am not much of one for the value of capital as we see it today. Luckily, I was removed from that environment before I could really do any damage to myself or others, based on how I have grown since it was inevitable. I am now getting to the point in this paragraph where I am trying to decide how much further I should delve into the depths of my life for you, at this point I don’t want to bore you too much but only I know the excitement that waits.

If I were to pick a country to live in based on it geography I would choose the one I currently live in every time. The United States of America has one of the most varied and beautiful landscapes out of all of the landscapes I have ever witnessed, and I have seen more in person than I bet you would think. I have spent time on most of the different regions of Europe and none of those countries has come close, except for the British Isles but I think that that must have something to do with my heritage. However, there is no other criteria that exists in most people’s searches for the best country to live in on earth that would qualify the United States of America. Economy, Switzerland. Attitude of the people, Canada and France by miles. Government structure, nobody is perfect yet but Iceland is doing particularly well, I wept with joy when they got those bankers. France has better cuisine and so does Italy while also having better produce, I had the best orange juice every morning I was in Italy, fresh squeezed and a perfect balance of sweet and tart. The kind that puckers your face just the right amount after you swallow. Never the less I was born in America to American parents (one NRA life member and one UC Berkeley art major with honors, the main reason I believe opposites must attract, because I exist) and I myself do so happen to be an American.

One of my life’s greatest questions has been in what country do I want to live my life. When I was a young adult I wanted more than anything to follow the path of my ancestors in reverse and return to the British Isles, but the more I thought about it that was just like running out on your family. I was told from a young age to never quit and to never turn my back on problems I had created. I made it my mission to never turn my back on my country. I know right about now many of you don’t like where this is headed or maybe it feels a little too “patriotic” for you, let me ask you to take a beat and keep on reading. It is not about patriotism any more than it is about the future of the world. No matter what anyone tells you, since the turn of the 19th to the 20th century the world has followed the direction of America. My credentials for saying that are over 10 college courses on the history of the world and Americas influence on it, in other words I just spent 6 years getting a 4 year degree and it wasn’t because I am unintelligent (we will get to those reasons in another personal essay titled “holy fucking shit did you see that? Neither did I”). As a result we have a unique opportunity to, in the words of my favorite 80’s metal/hair band RATT, “show the world”.

My generation, I was born in ’96 so call it whatever you want, has the opportunity as the young adults of this country to show the world what it means to live and live well. Not only for ourselves and other but the planet as well, which in reality and as I can show you if need be, is the same exact thing. Let’s not get carried away with ourselves either, we must take the boomers with us (gods I hate that phrase). We have the most up to date and progressive mindsets of anyone on this planet and for the most part we know what needs to be done. We are now at the point of ignition and I can barely wait to see what happens. We are almost in charge, it is almost our time to make the change we know we need to happen. We must begin to do, we must continue to fight for our future because no one else is going to do it anymore. Not the government, not your parents/guardians, and not your friend of the same age, it is now your turn. I’ll let you know that a part of me is terrified of what is to come, and the rational part of me tells me that the only way it won’t terrify me is if I act now. I have marched in the streets in support of causes in the past and I have donated large sums of money, at least large to me, to charities that I know are reputable and for a good cause, and I encourage you to do the same. Now, though is the time to act and my action is writing, persuasion and explanation are my strong suits. I have been told by almost anyone that reads my raw writing that it is unnaturally good, and that is nice and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy when I tuck myself in at night, but I could care less about how good it is. What matters is what I write and how it makes people feel, not even really feel but know. I want people to know the truth not just about specific events but life in general, and I can’t do that by myself. I also have a knack for analysis, it doesn’t take me very long to understand something and see its cause and effect on the planet or society as a whole. Couple all of that with my passion, and it really does border on obsession, with knowing as much about things that I care about as possible and I think I can help us get to where we need to be.

I have some ideas myself of what needs to be written about, debated and analyzed and I will, in the next couple of months, try to get my thoughts and analysis written up and submitted to medium. If anyone has anything they want me to look into and analyze with my knowledge and brain just comment or write to me at scottishkid6@gmail.com (who doesn’t love a good junior high email account name, I just can’t seem to bring myself to change it). Also, if you just want to know more about me personally I will be writing that kind of stuff up to, however it always takes second fiddle to current events.

The bottom line is this, whatever we are doing in society right now, and I mean before coronavirus, is not working. We, the young people of the world, need to start acting like we are going to inherit the earth soon, because we are. I am a writer, it’s what I have done since I was 12, and either by school mandate or for fun ever since. I am also about to receive my first college degree in social studies, specializing in history and political science. That has been my life for the last, huh I know, six years, I live and breathe political and economic ideologies and with my passion for history I have a need to relate them to history and analyze what they have done to societies in the past. Anyways, I look forward to reading comments about my first posting and I hope lots of people will want to read my second post/essay. Next up will either be an essay about The United States and race relations, or the actual values that founded this country.