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Between Empire and Frontier

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Sean

On a bright, warm and clear Sunday morning I stood with my back against a brick wall, facing South. The sun had not yet rose above the midlevel buildings surrounding me. I had been reading a novel that used post-Revolutionary War New York as a setting and was thinking, as I read the wonderful passages, about just how long New York had been a part of this country. It is easy to take it for granted until you start thinking in terms of the first settlements, how farms gave way to buildings, stretching out for miles along the rivers. New York was at once a microcosm of the entire country. New York represented the American Empire.

I’ve had my desire to move to the Pacific Northwest rekindled and I couldn’t help but think in terms of the West as Frontier. American expansion moved west. People traveled westward to find new land, new resources, new opportunities. Seattle always seemed like a promised land to me for this very reason.

To my left, the East, New York, Empire.

To my right, the West, Seattle, Frontier.

Empire vs. Frontier. Both represent expansion and growth. Empire expands for the sake of wealth and power. Frontier expands for the sake of discovery and knowledge. These are not mutually exclusive. They only difference between the two is motivation.

There I was, in Chicago, in the middle of Empire and Frontier – caught in my own quandary of motivation. Do I pursue Empire, wealth and power or Frontier, discovery and knowledge? I’ve always considered myself a Frontier person: a person who values innovation and finding out new things above all else. If someone mentions something I don’t know, I am compelled to learn about it. Ask me a question I can’t answer and you might as well put itching powder in my shorts.

I’ve stopped pursuing the Frontier in most aspects of my life. I’m sure I could go on another rant about fear and how much of my life has been cut short due to fear, but I’ll bypass that for now. It has become clichéd. Six months ago I thought I made a decision to pursue Empire – wealth, by putting my energy behind a nascent company. Yet, no wealth, no power… nothing. The path of Empire feels wrong. I’m about creating, developing, building and innovating. I’m not about maintaining.

There I was, standing, back against a brick wall. The sun rose in the East. I don’t know which direction I should go, will go. I sipped my coffee. No action means neither Empire or Frontier. It is a very vacant feeling.

About Sean

Sean D. Francis is a technologist, writer, and geek. He podcasts, makes video, and dabbles in all the geeky genres including horror, sci-fi, and fantasy. View all posts by Sean → This entry was posted in Thoughts and tagged featured. Bookmark the permalink.
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Eric Martell

It can be harder to innovate when you’ve got something to protect (the Empire), but without it, you stagnate. The two aren’t mutually exclusive, I don’t think.

http://www.seandfrancis.com Sean D. Francis

“ Both represent expansion and growth. Empire expands for the sake of wealth and power. Frontier expands for the sake of discovery and knowledge. These are not mutually exclusive. They only difference between the two is motivation.”

Eric Martell

I was responding specifically to: “I’m about creating, developing, building and innovating. I’m not about maintaining.” In my experience, creation without further growth, and yes, maintenance of success, is hollow.
http://www.seandfrancis.com Sean D. Francis

Johnny Appleseed didn’t tend to orchards, he just planted trees and moved on. The skills it takes to explore, discover, and create are not necessarily the same skills it takes to develop and maintain. As soon as something becomes repetitive I don’t want anything more to do with it. I want to create, teach, move on, and let someone else maintain and develop.

If I had written about this in terms of Path of Education and Path of Business, which is the standard dichotomy people talk about, whether to pursue education or pursue making money, would that have been clearer? I’m just talking in terms of motivations… am I motivated by money or discovery, security or creation? And I desperately try to stay away from Mixed Classes (I’m a Secure Creator, a Moneyed Discoverer, a Fighter-Thief-Cleric-Mage). Or in terms of writing for Frolick… I’m a Realistic Idealist or Idealistic Realist. I know these labels aren’t firm, well defined, absolutes, but guides, fuzzy areas in which to help create a framework for discussion.

I just liked thinking in terms of Frontier and when I was reading about New York City, Empire seemed like a fitting counter-element.

Between Empire and Frontier

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