Onward and Upward

A Quick Thank You for All the Support, and a Survey to Consider Next Steps

When I started this Substack a few short weeks ago, I had no idea what to expect. I knew that I wanted to write, speak, and at least attempt to get my voice heard on a subject I was so passionate about, but was unsure if what I had to say would resonate with others. Needless to say, it seems that what I’ve said so far has proven to be something that many others have found value in, as at the time of writing this post my subscribers have not only reached 1000, but continue to grow by the minute! As a teacher, I’m humbled to see so many minds that have been willing to read, consider, and apply what I’ve discussed so far. So I’d like to take this brief moment in time to say thank you, and to give you the opportunity to decide what happens from here.

As someone who has had little-to-no experience with other forms of social media, the numbers and analytics I see as a creator are still a little abstract. But a few short days ago, my wife shared with me some information that really put this situation into perspective. It was a Substack Note that said something along the lines of this:

30 subscribers is a full classroom.

200 subscribers is a packed movie theater.

500 subscribers is a theater hall.

1000 subscribers is an auditorium.

10,000 subscribers is a sold-out arena.

For me, teaching has never been a “small thing”. I chose the profession because of how important I knew it to be. In the words of Sister Miriam Joseph:

Education is the highest of arts in the sense that it imposes forms (ideas and ideals) not on matter, as do other arts (for instance carpentry or sculpture) but on mind.

Even more to consider is the weight of such a profession. As a Christian, there’s not a day that goes by where I do not consider James, chapter 3, verse 1:

Not many of you should become teachers, brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

Throughout my career as a teacher, I’ve had few classes that have exceeded 30 students, with much of my classes averaging only half as much (a result of being a small-town West Virginia teacher, I suppose). But, I’ve always kept those two quotes in the back of my mind, whether it be when I’m helping 1 student, 30, or more. But I do think the weight of teaching increases as the amount of students do. The more minds that are being formed, the greater and more widespread the effects can become.

Do I consider my you, my subscribers, as students? No. I consider you as equals—and in many instances, I’m sure “superiors” would be more correct—in the pursuit I’ve set out to accomplish: the pursuit to revive real thinking and intellectual pursuits in an age where artificiality has been left unchecked. After all, I’m merely 29 years old. I still have much to learn, myself. But so many of you have read and considered what I have to say, and have deemed it worthy enough for your continued time—and for some of you, money—that I consider it a great privilege to help you on your journey in any way that I can. As such, I take responsibility for the ideas and ideals I espouse to you in the same ways I take responsibility as a teacher for how I form the minds of my students. I will always be open to critiques, I will always be willing to say “I don’t know” in instances when I’m outside of my understanding, and I will treat this entire journey as a journey where all of us are here to lift each other up. After all, iron sharpen iron.

I consider it a great opportunity that God has placed before me to have this community that has seemingly sprouted over night, and I’ll do my best—along with His help and yours—to carry it into the future virtuously, forthrightly, and in the pursuit of the true, good, and beautiful. But seeing as this community really has sprouted over night, I have little to go by in the ways of determining next steps.

When starting this venture, I had set out to provide information to help others cultivate their intellectual lives through writing about what I’ve learned as a Christian, husband, father, and my expertise as a classical educator. My philosophy has always been that the core of my information (my writings) should always be freely given, but I’ve always wanted to expand this content to provide more if my audience showed a desire for such things. Since starting, I’ve had subscribers reach out to me about three particular pursuits: a podcast, a book club, and Q & A’s—all of which are ways to bring our community more together and to prioritize real, human thinking.

But as someone who holds multiple teaching jobs and the responsibilities of a husband and father, my time is precious! I would love nothing more than to provide these resources to you all, but the only way I could justify the time and effort to do so would be through the introduction of paid subscriptions. I’d like to take this time to let you all decide. It’s not my choice, but yours. Take this survey (it’s short!), and we’ll let it guide us into the future. Regardless of the outcome, you can expect everything I’ve provided thus far to continue: weekly articles devoted to cultivating the intellectual life.

Again, I want to thank God and all of you who have filled this virtual auditorium to make this possible. Who knows what the future holds. It may turn into a virtual arena! But just know that I’m humbled, thankful, and a little speechless, either way.

Thank you for such a wonderful start.

Thank you for your continued support.

Thank you for what, I hope, is a bright future.

P.S. I have another post planned for a later release this week. I wanted to get this one out first, considering all that’s happened in such a short amount of time. Be on the lookout for it, and I’ll see you in the comments!