Who am I? That's a good question. But predictably, I have no reliable answer, since I'm fairly fuzzy on the topic myself. I can at least give you some notion of the basics; those facts which, regardless of my examination of them, refuse to be smudged into a new shape.

My name is Joseph Chisholm. I've lived my 17 years in Bedford, Nova Scotia, which is just outside that Canadian province's capital of Halifax. I used to always comment on how great Bedford was, but then I became somewhat disenchanted. Maybe it changed, maybe I changed -- probably some of both. My quiet town was steadily taken over by a rich horde who brought with them scores of housing developments, so that Bedford proper is merely the hub of several residential communities that establish a pattern and repeat it ad infinitum. Meanwhile, years of mental trauma from various sources cut a cynical scar across my psyche to colour my perception of these changes. I eagerly await moving away from this yuppie hellhole.

If it hasn't occured to you already, I'm a nerd. All the same, I like to think I somehow transcend the limitations of that label. Sure, I've got the glasses, the ridiculously good grades (despite criticizing the system like a true coffeeshop philosopher) and a dress sense comparable to that of a nudist, but these days I've got just as many people calling me a hippie. And I suppose I can see where they're coming from -- since dragging my way out of the aforementioned crappiness of my life, I've been walking a shaky line toward some sort of enlightenment, dabbling in every means at my disposal. And I've figured quite a lot out, although most of it has been said before (just not often understood).

Not to say it's all been smooth running. Since my spiritual path led me to give up on my medication (yes, I'm certifiably insane) I've found old demons struggling to reassert themselves in spite of all I've learned. It's a curious struggle that occurs within me, with notions of cosmic pantheistic pseudo-Zen at odds with a mundane chemical imbalance. I've been twitching a lot more lately.

I mean, I'm not a bad person. Not as near as I can tell. I just have to deal with a lot more mental and emotional bullshit than most people, and it can cause me to be more introverted and removed than I might prefer. I regret that a lot of people miss out on the better sides of Joe because he's too caught up in his own internal dialogue and external mumblings, rantings, and complainings.

I don't update this page very often. I once wrote frequently, but it's been a while since I've been inspired enough. As it stands, this is largely an archive of old work, occasionally treated to an addition that I decide weeks later is crappy and promptly remove. If you're somehow inclined toward more frequent words of mine (though such an inclination would truly baffle me) you can feel free to ask for the address of my online journal, and I'll provide it if you seem trustworthy enough. It's nothing more than a chronicle of the events of my life, which are getting considerably better these days but which still suffer from a tiresome redundancy. In any case, I can be reached by e-mail or ICQ (49765291).