The virtualization of my world began in an unlikely place: summer camp.  I had just graduated high school and I was ready to make a positive impact on the campers.  During our limited down-time as counselors, we would retreat to a lounge, to talk away from the campers.  We loved the kids, but sometimes you want to speak with an adult.  I find this amusing now as a new 30-year-old man.  Comparatively, we knew nothing of adult life.  I found a free moment to create a Facebook account and started adding friends.  I began slowly.  A few people that I liked from high school and…

I have always been mindful of the changes around me.  My personal perspective leans on the idea that  people change based on their surroundings.  The people that influence your behavior come in many forms.  When I was growing up, my influences were a good balance of secular and religious.  My peers helped me understand what was considered “cool” and later on helped me realize that “coolness” was not the only way to live.  I was the quiet kid that was always listening.  I had a curiosity that could not be contained.  My interest in other people’s lives sometimes brought me to the brink of breaking social norms.  Even as a…