I got a kick out of this.

Looking back on the decade:

Ten years ago I was a very far left liberal. Probably more of a communist. And an atheist. And wanted to work for the government.

Heh.

Sounds familiar.

As an adolescent, I was indoctrinated to be a good socialist and a believing Christian. My socialist sympathies gave way to rock-ribbed conservativism, and have since moderated to a kind of practical center-right sensibility.

My relationship with God has been a lot like my marriage--love, fights, contemplation of divorce, reconciliations and ultimately settling into a deep and comfortable affection.

Looking back, I got this way because of the diversity of my experiences. The left thinks diversity is different skin colors engaged in groupthink, but real diversity consists of experiencing alternate points of view.

We used to call that an education.

I'd recommend that every young person go walkabout for two or three years. Spend some time with people of a different culture. Learn a new language, or two, or three. Read history. Read the classics. Read the Bible. Try new things. Eat strange food. Go to church. Find interesting people and ask them questions.

University is a good place to get qualified for a career, but its increasingly a lousy place to get an education. Their libraries on the other hand are Holy Temples. Spend a lot of time there.

Happy New Year.