Hello, my name is J.M. I'm in my early 50s and I live a relatively unexciting life in in western New York state with my wife (I rather prefer "unexciting"). I'm not really from any one place, having moved around for much of my childhood as well as later in life. I'm a bit tired of moving around so much these days.
I wouldn't go so far as to refer to myself as a "Daoist" in any way, but perhaps "Lao-Zhuang inspired: -- that is, I find much resonance with the Laozi and Zhuangzi texts and how they overlap with other philosophical interests that are mostly more from a western cultural background. I find that sort of cross-fertilization useful, particularly in relation to phenomenology (Merleau-Ponty), perspectivism (later Wittgenstein), deep ecology (David Abram), eco-feminism, animism, and certain strains of anarchist thought (Jacques Ellul) -- not that "Daoism" is synonymous with any of that, but there are certainly some fruitful connections. As for scholars more focused on actual Chinese thought, I am especially sympathetic to Brook Ziporyn and Francois Jullien.
Overall, I find the Laozi and Zhuangzi texts as a way to frame my own experiences in a way that I find personally meaningful. Needless to say, my views are a bit idiosyncratic, tending to look at the Lao-Zhuang texts through a phenomenological lens rather than a particularly individualistic "mystical" one. All this might sound awful "intellectual" -- which is often how I am misunderstood, but this is only meant to articulate a more deeply felt encounter which is more akin to poetry than to the prose of rational analysis. I'm here primarily more to listen in to the thoughts of others here, though I'm sure I'll have some contributions to make conversation-wise as well.
Other interests of mine are jazz (mostly 50s & 60s), as well as reading poetry, literature, philosophy, and nature writing. I make it a weekly practice (of sorts) to go sauntering about in the local woods for a few hours every weekend.
Thank you for having me here.
~ J.M.
