Folks often ask if exposing my thoughts and deeds in this weekly newspaper column can sometimes be embarrassing. The short answer is, "NO." Why should it be?

Ask my wife the same question and you might get a different answer. She sometimes laments that everybody out there in reader-land knows more about her than she would like. It's true I suppose but I am comfortable in my own skin and I find embarrassment comes only infrequently.

When I turned 40 years old and realized that I was pretty much what I was going to be, and would never have my picture gracing the cover of a major magazine, elected to high public office, win husband-of-the-year awards, etc., I resolved to settle down -- be myself and enjoy life. It was liberating!

I probably could not have written a personal column of this nature when I was a young newspaperman -- still wet behind the years following my newly minted college experience. I didn't understand that I was so young but folks kept trying to point it out. I was too busy trying to build my career to let my hair down and enjoy the journey.

I did write columns early on. My first as a self-impressed 24-year-old newspaper editor was entitled "Potpourri." It never occurred to me that folks who had not endured my freshman English course would likely not have the foggiest notion of the word's meaning: "... a collection containing a variety ... of things or thoughts." I soon learned better and changed the title to "Listen." Until, I figured out that no one was.

My next column was named "Column 9." That was when newspapers were man-sized and had nine wide columns instead of today's five or six puny ones. I finally gave up on column writing and stuck with news reporting and editorials -- only to be called a "half-educated young upstart," by a local politician. I was not deterred by him then, nor, do I care what others choose to call me today. My new wife had a little trouble adapting to the idea of bearing the political wrath directed toward her newspaper-editor husband. But we endured until I decided to go straight and got out of newspaper writing for many years.

I always figured there is too much "pussyfooting" going on in society and I have always plainly spoken my mind. If everyone would express themselves clearly and honestly in every aspect of life, there would be better communication and, therefore, more harmony in politics, work environments, marriages and life in general.

Along the way, was I ever wrong? You had better believe I was and readers have always been hasty to point out the errors of my ways. I found apologizing easy, which I did my share of in those early years -- just before immediately returning to my old methodology of calling it as I saw it. Today, I rarely ever feel the need to apologize because I am simply expressing my opinion and if folks don't agree, they are free to express their own.

And, do they ever! The response that I detest most is from those misguided Moses-conflicted souls who are forever taking it upon themselves to "re-educate" me in their attempts to lead me into the Promised Land. I am old enough to hold most of my opinions solidly and I usually tell them their efforts might be more fruitfully exercised in other endeavors. But, yet, they send me every piece of flimsy argument they can find on the Internet upholding their point of view regardless of the ridiculous source. These days, one can find complimenting arguments on the Internet for just about any weird point of view imaginable -- including Man/Boy Love and Witchcraft. I am seldom swayed from my original thoughts.

Is this arrogant? Perhaps. But, as I said, I am comfortable in my own skin and fairly well satisfied that in my advanced years, I have thoroughly thought through most of the mysteries of life and have come to reasonable conclusions. Until convinced otherwise by reasonable argument, I intend to stand by them. If I am wrong, then I will apologize again.

Am I sometimes foolish? According to some readers, of course, I am. But, I'm honest! And I enjoy life regardless of how foolish I sometimes may appear. I enjoy bantering with strangers and friends. I will sometimes in private conversations take a contrary view (often called the Devil's advocacy) just to keep a lively conversation going. Life can be fun!

Not everyone agrees and I am often taken to task for my "Neanderthal" views as some term them. Actually, I am the product of a conservative Southern society and philosophy.

Just the way God made me!

So, those who venture into the realm of attempting to improve upon the handiwork of The Almighty, do so at their own peril.

John Brock is a retired college professor and, newspaper editor/publisher, who lives in Georgetown County. He can be reached by mail at this newspaper, or my Email at brock@johnbrock.com